Light Vegetable Soup

And I am back after a much needed break! I spent a week doing absolutely nothing and enjoying every minute of it on a beautiful beach with white sand and clear blue water in Cuba. Seven days without Internet. Seven days without email. Seven days without Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Seven days unplugged. Recharged…

It was an interesting experience. First couple of days I was trying to get paid wi-fi at the hotel lobby, but it was broken. On the third day I stopped trying. I actually personally love being connected. I don’t feel the need to disconnect. So, I thought it would be difficult, but it wasn’t. What I realized was that I am actually not addicted to Internet, but I do love the convenience of being able to go on imdb if I see an actor who I cannot recognize or use google translate for a word I don’t know or check the weather. It makes my life easier. But, I have to say, there’s something about not being online, not checking emails, not scrolling through pages and pages of Pinterest.

During that week I also did not think about food at all which was quite unusual for me. I  like thinking about recipes and what I would make for dinner or lunch. But that week gave me time to fully relax. And now that I am back from vacation, I am also back in the kitchen. Trying to eat a bit healthier after over-indulging for seven days. So, this soup is just it – healthy, light and delicious. It takes about five minutes of prep only and cooks in about 30+ minutes, depending on how soft you like your vegetables. The flavour is quite light, but I kept it that on purpose, only using my favourite Mrs. Dash spices which I swear work with pretty much any savoury dish. It’s a perfect soup to finish the summer and transition into fall.

Light Vegetable Soup

Olive oil – 1 tablespoon
Onion, diced – 1 large
Carrot, diced – 1 large
Cauliflower – 1 head
Bay leaf – 3
Peppercorns – about 5-8
Salt – 1 teaspoon
Mrs. Dash Original No Salt Blend – 2 teaspoons
Water (or vegetable stock) – 8 cups (2 liters)
Garlic – 2 cloves
Dill – 2 tablespoons

• In a large pot, heat olive oil.
• Add onion and carrot to pan and cook for 5-8 minutes until softened and onion starts to change colour.
• Chop cauliflower into bite sized pieces, add to pot and cover with 2 litters of water.
• Add the salt, spices, bay leaf and peppercorns.
• Cover pot, bring to boil, then reduce heat and cook until cauliflower is cooked to your liking. I prefer my cauliflower softer, so I cook for longer.
• Adjust spices accordingly, you may also want to use vegetable stock in place of water for a deeper flavour.
• White soup is cooking, mince garlic into almost paste. 
• Finely chop dill and add about 2 tablespoons (or more) of dill to garlic and mix well.
• To serve, add the garlic-dill mixture to each bowl of soup. 

NOTES:
– This garlic-dill mixture adds some bite to the soup and makes it more bright and flavourful.

– As I mentioned earlier, it’s a very light soup. You can make it a bit heartier by adding a couple of chopped potatoes together with cauliflower.