Photos by Alecia Lindsay

I get a pretty bad case of winter blues whenever November roles around and it usually doesn’t go away until around the beginning of March (which just so happens to be during Daylight Savings Day). Growing up in Salt Lake, I’m used to gray skies and cold weather, but being a college student has made me experience winter in a whole different dimension. Some days it feels physically difficult to get out of bed when the sun still hasn’t fully come out of the cloud and my sheets are warm and cozy.

Looking back on this past winter, I feel like I was in a haze. On top of regular schoolwork, I was trying to formulate and plan out my senior thesis (which I just completed!), and stay on top of work hours and my work at The Pioneer. The gray skies didn’t help to lighten my dreary mood. I actually purchased a dawn-simulator alarm clock so that I could attempt to make my mornings a little happier. Maybe it’s because the box says I should have a “more energetic wake up” but it helped a bit.

Good thing it’s officially spring though, right? To get us through the gloomy cold winter days, or even those rainy spring afternoons, I suggest whipping up a batch of soup. Most of the time I chop up onions, garlic, a couple of heaping spoonfulls of various spices, broth, vegetables, and some sort of grain to make some kind of impromptu soup without actually measuring ingredients. One day, though, I came across a recipe for cauliflower soup by Joy the Baker and it seemed to call my name, just begging for me to make it. I love cauliflower and despite the fact that it makes you emit weird body odors, I could still have it roasted or stir fried for dinner almost every night.

So for those upcoming cold and blue days, here you go! Enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Cumin from Joy the Baker serves 4 to 6

1 large head cauliflower (1 1/2 to 2 pounds), cut into 1 1/2-inch florets
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (I used regular cumin powder that I brought back from India… fancy, I know)
1 teaspoon curry powder (Bought from Safeway… not India. Hey, you win some, you lose some)
4 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt and crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 bay leaf
4 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup plain yogurt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Spread cauliflower florets on a large rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with cumin and curry.  Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and toss to coat.  Season with salt and crushed red pepper flakes.  Place in the oven and roast for about 25 minutes.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the last tablespoon of olive oil.  Add onions and cook until softened and browned, about 5 minutes.  Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.  Add the roasted cauliflower to the pot along with the butter, bay leaf, and broth. Simmer over medium heat until liquid has reduced some and the cauliflower is tender, about 15 minutes.  Pick out and discard the bay leaf.

Using an immersion blender or a blender, carefully puree the soup until smooth.  Return the soup to the saucepan and stir in the yogurt.

-Shelly