Roasted Cauliflower Ginger Soup

Cauliflower is one of the powerful healing foods described in Dr. Nan Lu's book Traditional Chinese Medicine:  A Natural Guide to Weight Loss That Lasts. (It is upon this book that The Dragon's Way program is based.)  Cauliflower is used by practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine to increase kidney Qi, encourage weight loss and to help with constipation.


We conserve Qi for healing purposes whenever we eat cooked vegetables rather than raw ones so I really like this Roasted Cauliflower Ginger Soup recipe.  It is a family favorite!  (This recipe is adapted from Make It Fast, Cook It Slow by Stephanie O'Dea)


Ingredients
1 head cauliflower
5 tablespoons walnut, sesame or safflower oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 black pepper
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups warm water
1 diced yellow onion
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cloves minced garlic

Directions


Wash your head of cauliflower well and break into florets.

In a bowl, toss the florets with 3 tablespoons of the oil of your choice.  (I like using walnut oil because of its healing essence for the kidneys.)

Place on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with salt and black pepper and roast in a 400 degree F oven for about 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower has begun to caramelize.

Meanwhile, dice the onions and saute the onions and garlic in 2 tablespoons of oil.

Add the ground ginger, broth and water to the onions and garlic.  Then add the cauliflower.  Bring to a boil and then simmer until the cauliflower is tender.   The cooking can also be done in a slow cooker which is my favorite way to cook.

Puree the broth and vegetable mixture.  I used a stick blender but it can also be done carefully in a blender or food processor.

I love this soup because I know I am eating for healing whenever I do.  


Enjoy!!

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Baby it's cold outside!

The two main goals of The Dragon's Way program are to conserve and to increase Qi so we can have the Qi we need to heal our bodies.  In the winter, we expend Qi unnecessarily when we are constantly defending ourselves against the cold.  Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine advise that we take particular care to keep our upper back, neck and chest covered and warm.  Doing so will help to keep us from "catching cold" when it's blustery outside.  So come what may, stay bundled up but don't forget to find JOY in the season because winter is FUN.  At least that's what we say at our house.

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