Curried Cauliflower Soup

My mother-in-law makes a delicious cauliflower soup every year at Christmastime. The problem is that she will only make it once a year. She always makes me my own special batch with vegetable stock rather than the chicken stock the recipe demands. I have tried to convince her that she could just make the whole batch with vegetable stock since there is no other meat in the soup, but she is a stick-to-the-recipe kind of gal, so I get a pot all to myself. I never understood how curried cauliflower soup became a part of the family tradition, but somehow it did. Here is my version with red curry paste and basil oil that is sure to make an appearance on your table this holiday season.

Curried Cauliflower Soup:

(serves four as a first course, two for a light dinner)

1 large head cauliflower (broken into florets, stems chopped, about 4-5 cups)

3 tablespoons canola oil (divided)

1 1/2 cup diced onion (about 1 medium onion)

1 tablespoon red curry paste (available at Whole Foods)

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 cup white wine

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

1 can light coconut milk

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sugar

salt to taste

1/4 cup chopped green onions or chives (to garnish)

1 tablespoon basil oil

thinly sliced hot peppers (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss cauliflower in a two tablespoons of canola oil and spread onto a large baking sheet; roast until the tips of the cauliflower are golden brown (15-20 minutes). Remove cauliflower from the oven and set aside. In a large soup pot over medium heat, sweat onion in a tablespoon of canola oil until translucent (this should take about three minutes).  Add the curry paste and lemon zest. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the wine. Cook until most of the wine has evaporated.

Add all of the cauliflower stems and half of the florets to the pot along with the vegetable stock, coconut milk, vinegar, and sugar. Using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth. Check for seasoning adding salt if needed. Ladle soup into a bowl, top with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the roasted cauliflower florets, a drizzle of basil oil, and a sprinkling of chives.