I’m a huge fan of soup. When made consciously, it can be a a great way to fill yourself up without filling yourself out, if you know what I mean. I especially love making soups like this cauliflower and chive soup because it has all the decadence and mouth feel of a creamy soup, but it doesn’t contain a drop of cream. In fact, it has no dairy at all, making this a great recipe for someone who is vegan, vegetarian, dairy free, gluten free, or on a low-calorie diet.
Cauliflower is one of my favorite cruciferous vegetables. Not only is it very low in calories, but it also has some fantastic health benefits. Cauliflower contains several anti-cancer phyto-chemicals like sulforaphane and plant sterols such as indole-3-carbinol, which appears to function as an anti-estrogen agent. Together these compounds have proven benefits against prostate, breast, cervical, colon, and ovarian cancers by virtue of their cancer-cell growth inhibition and cytotoxic effects on cancer cells. It contains good amounts of many vital B-complex groups of vitamins such as folates, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), hiamin (vitamin B1), niacin (B3), and vitamin K. These vitamins are essential in the sense that the body requires them from external sources to replenish stores, and they are required for fat, protein, and carbohydrate metabolism. Fresh cauliflower is also an excellent source of vitamin C; 100 g provides about 48.2 mg or 80% of daily recommended value.
