Lemony Carrot and Cauliflower Soup

One question: I toasted the coriander seeds and coarsely crushed them with a mortar and pestle. I followed the recipe in detail. The soup was great but we were spitting out the husks (or hulls) of the coriander. Did I do something wrong? Did others have the same experience?

This soup is delightful! I used veg broth instead of water, roasted the cauliflower and carrots rather than cooking in the broth, and added bay leaves and then some scallions at the end. The soup somehow ends up tasting like a bowl of creamy, cheesy cauliflower-cheddar even though there isn't a drop of dairy. Highly recommended!

This is my go-to soup recipe -- I make it weekly. I always use the zest and juice from one full organic lemon, which is a bit more than the recipe calls for. One note: try this with purple cauliflower! When you add the lemon juice (an acid) to the light purple puree (which contains a natural pH indicator) it will leave a distinct reddish/bright pink swirl. The whole soup will then take on the most interesting color. (Might be a good way to get kids to eat their veggies, and help to cook?)

To the editors: I would like it if instead of saying, "1 small (or half of a large) head cauliflower" you would give the weight of cauliflower needed.

Having read the notes, I decided to change the recipe somewhat and it turned out great. As my first step I sautéed onions, celery and some carrots together until soft. Then I added the garlic and a tablespoon of Mark Bittman's curry powder. I let the spices bloom and then added 7 cups of chicken stock with the carrot and cauliflower. I simmered the lot for an hour to bring out favours. I used a immersion blender to puree the soup and left it to cure for 2 days. Definitely a keeper!

Do I have to crush my own coriander seeds or can I use ground coriander? If I can, how much should I add? Thanks!

I adore this recipe! My tips: (1) Coriander seeds are easily burnt and it was hard to hit the sweet spot there. (2) I love the fresh cilantro and put extra in each cup as I served it. Even better when you reheat it after. (3) I added miso after the boiling because I learned long ago that the probiotic benefits of the fermented soy paste are eliminated if it is heated to boiling. But that didn't change the taste I don't think.

Eased the process some and sort of 1.5-ed or doubled this recipe. Roasted 7-8 carrots, whole head of cauliflower, a few Yukon golds, lots of garlic, and big onion first (after dusting them in coriander, s & p) for an hour. No miso, used smoked sweet paprika, and 8 cups veg broth. Cuisinart. Tons of cilantro and an abundance of zest and juice. Wanted to top it with feta or gorg but left it alone - glad I didn't add but still think it'd be great. This soup is a total knockout.

How do you "bloom" coriander?

I used multi-color carrots which made for a stunning soup. The favors all come together in the end with the final lemon juice and rind, cilantro, chili powder, Maldon salt and olive oil, so don't be discouraged as I was if you taste it at the purée stage.

I recommend adding ground up nuts (walnuts, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, you name it) at the end with the other garnishes. A tablespoon or two on top gives some pleasant texture, and the oils from the nuts add great flavor.

After reading the notes, I made a few adjustments, blooming the coriander and smoked chili, and adding a bit of turmeric for color and tomato paste for umami; using 2/3 veg stock in place of water; adding a potato to smooth out the puree; and adding the miso at the end so as not to overheat it. It was absolutely delicious garnished with good olive oil, Aleppo pepper and minced cilantro.

A small potato added to the mix adds a touch of smoothness. A spoonful of diced avocado is a nice garnish.

I have not made this yet but I imagine that you could sift out the hulls using a fine mesh strainer before adding coriander powder to the pot. That should keep the spice powder and eliminate the hulls.

I use a coffee grinder for spices.