Kale and Cauliflower Soup

Soup season is upon us and this kale and cauliflower soup is one of our go to recipes. It is a perfect lunch to have on hand during these cooler fall days. I grew up on soups of all kinds and my children will hopefully have the same wonderful sentiments attached to a steaming bowl of soup as I do. The benefit of soup it that you can stretch it to fill the bellies of any wandering souls that show up at your door in need of some physical or emotional nourishment. Soup and a willing server can be a balm for both.

We grew up in a home with an open door policy and we would have a mirage of guests grace our table at any given holiday, meal, or really any hour of the day. You might be put to work but you would definitely not go home hungry! This was a huge gift to me as it showed me the value of all people. Even as a teenager, when my mother and fathers generosity was an inconvenience to me at times, it still had the ability to instill in me a love for all of God’s children; rich or poor, clean or dirty, red, yellow, black or white. Everyone has a soul, we all have a story, and we need community. We have to be willing to be the community that reaches out. It doesn’t have to be fancy, a bowl of soup will do.

What is so great about this soup?

It is EASY!!!! In one of my prouder homeschooling moments I planned a cooking day for my boys when they were probably 8 and 9. They each had their own separate day to cook with mom and they got to invite a cousin. Actually, I think one of my sisters invited her daughter to join us, but it worked out wonderfully. You have to be very flexible as part of a large family. And if you are, blessings usually follow. Anyway, I got them colorful aprons with matching chef hats that they got to decorate with puff paint, and then I gave them 4 recipes to create. Note: I am not a fun homeschooling mom. This is probably the pinnacle of my creativity. My more typical ideas of fun include stacking wood.

This Kale and cauliflower soup is a result of this homeschooling activity so I would call it a success. If these kiddos can whip this Kale and Cauliflower soup up than so can you. It has no roux, no thickening necessary. You don’t even have to chop anything! Jeremiah is the main chef at our house when it comes to preparing this particular soup and he can now do it in record time. So try this recipe, you just might like it!

How to Make Kale and Cauliflower Soup

Here is what you will need:

2 lbs. of ground meat (hamburger, breakfast sausage, Italian sausage, maple sausage)

12 cups of chicken broth

4 cloves of minced garlic.

2 T. Italian Seasoning

1/2 – 1 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 12 oz. bags of frozen cauliflower florets

1 12 oz. bag of frozen chopped kale

2 13.5 oz. cans unsweetened coconut milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Brown your meat in a large stock pot. Add in your broth and seasonings and bring to boil. Next, add in the cauliflower. You can chop these in smaller bite-size pieces if you desire, but many a time I just dump the bag in as is. Boil for 10 minutes. Turn burner on low and add in kale. Let kale cook for 2-3 minutes and turn off the burner. Lastly, add in your 2 cans of coconut milk and you’re done! Salt and pepper to taste. I usually start with 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper and add more if necessary.

Variations of Kale and Cauliflower Soup

This is a very flexible soup. It must have come from a big family!

Meat substitutions: When I make this recipe I usually do one pound of hamburger and one pound of some type of sausage. If you only use hamburger you will probably need to add additional seasonings as the sausage adds a lot of flavor all on its own.

Garlic Substitutions: By all means use the minced garlic from the jar, about 4 teaspoons. Or, just use garlic powder, about 2 teaspoons.

Red Pepper flakes substitution: If you don’t want your kids to see any red things in their soup, just add in a splash of hot sauce. You can skip it all together but I like the added flavor.

Coconut Milk Substitution: This is a great non-dairy dish to have in your recipe repertoire but if you don’t have any on hand you can just add in 2 cups of milk, half and half, or heavy cream and 2 cups of sour cream. Both variations are delicious but I actually prefer the coconut milk version.

That’s all Folks!

If you have some extra kale on hand don’t forget that you can freeze it to have on hand all year round. Look here for how to do that quickly and efficiently. This a great soup recipe to use up all that frozen kale.

Be sure to whip up a batch of this Kale and Cauliflower soup to have available when you need to feed a crowd. Or make a big batch for dinner and use the leftovers for lunch the next day. As you make this recipe, think of who you can bless with it. Is there someone you know that could use a homecooked meal? Did a new family move in the area that you could bring this too? Is there a neighbor that seemed a little lonely the last time you waved at them in their yard? Ask them to join you for a meal and you will both be blessed!