Vegan Cream of Cauliflower Soup and Running at Gordon Beach

Every Wednesday, I get up at 5:30 a.m. just to make it to my morning workout at Gordon Beach (a beach in Tel Aviv, Israel).

It's a tough running workout that includes running through water and through soft sand that gives way under your feet. If you've never done intervals in soft sand, you haven't experienced pure suffering.

But I'll admit it: these workouts have seriously improved my running. I'm a much stronger runner now than when I started back in the cold winter months.

But that's not what I sat down to write about.

I don't know if you've noticed, but when I woke up at 5:30 today, it was still pitch-black. Yep, the days are getting shorter. It may not feel like it yet, but fall is right around the corner.

That makes this a great time to start thinking about holiday meals—and, more importantly, planning what we'll be eating or cooking. Or both.

Every year, I remind you that holiday meals can pack a lot of calories. By the time the holiday season wraps up, those extra pounds can become the ones you're trying to lose a few months later.

One approach I like is to include foods rich in fiber and water, so you start feeling comfortably full early in the meal.

Case in point: this vegan cream of cauliflower soup. It fills your belly without a huge calorie load, and you can find the calorie and fat breakdown below.

As for the taste? It's creamy and almost milky, without any cream or dairy.

And I promise it feels special enough for a holiday table. It doesn't taste like "health food"—it actually feels a little indulgent.

I love eating it cold, like a tzatziki-style soup, but it's absolutely delicious hot, too.

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How Should You Serve It?

A bowl of this soup makes a satisfying, nutritious first course.

Its water and fiber content can help you feel full, which may help you eat less during the rest of your holiday meal.

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Nutrition information provided by Noam Behar (an Israeli nutritionist and fitness coach).

One serving of soup, 350 g (12.3 oz), contains:

200 calories

8 g protein

19 g carbohydrates

12 g fat (including 2 g saturated fat)

9 g fiber

Looking for another cauliflower recipe? How about a cauliflower casserole?

Vegan Cream of Cauliflower Soup

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower weighing 1.25–1.5 kg (2 3/4–3 1/3 lb)
• 1 Jerusalem artichoke (sunchoke) 15 cm (6 inches) long
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 onion medium
• 1 tablespoon almond butter 30 g (1 oz)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger

For the Salad Topping

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Handful basil leaves
• 3 radishes
• 2 scallions
• 1 tablespoon blanched almonds 15 g (1/2 oz)

Instructions

1. Break the cauliflower into florets.
2. Peel the Jerusalem artichoke.
3. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.
4. Cook the cauliflower florets and Jerusalem artichoke in the boiling water for about 10 minutes, until tender.
   
5. Drain the vegetables, reserving 2 cups of the cooking water.
6. Chop the onion and sauté it in the tablespoon of olive oil until translucent.
7. Transfer the sautéed onion, cooked vegetables, 2 cups of reserved cooking water, and remaining soup ingredients to a food processor. Process until thick and smooth.
8. Refrigerate to chill if you'd like to serve it cold—my recommendation!
9. Prepare the salad topping.
10. Chop the vegetables and basil, then toss with the tablespoon of olive oil and the almonds.
11. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and spoon a little salad over each bowl.