Lemony Cauliflower and Carrot Soup

Directions

• Step 1 Put coriander seeds into a large dry pot and toast them until they are fragrant and golden-brown. This should take 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pot and crush with a mortar and pestle. You want a coarse grind.
• Step 2 Add oil to the pot you used to toast the coriander seeds and heat it until it is warm. Sauté the onion in the oil until the onion is beginning to brown. This will take about 10 minutes. Add the garlic to the pot with the sautéed onion and stir and cook for 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant.
• Step 3 Add the carrots, crushed coriander, salt and 6 C. of water to the pot. Put the miso into a bowl with some hot water and stir to dissolve the miso. Add to the pot. Cook the mixture for about 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower florets and cook (covered) over medium heat until all the vegetables are tender enough to puree. This will take about 10 minutes.
• Step 4 Remove the soup from the heat. Allow the soup to cool a bit. Puree the cooled soup in batches in a blender or food processor. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender to blend the soup. Return the soup to the heat to warm it Add the lemon zest and juice just before serving along with a drizzle of oil. Scatter the chile, sea salt and dill or cilantro leaves over the soup and serve. (Cook’s Note: As with most soups of this type, this soup is much more flavorful on days 2 and 3. You can stir in a bit of cream or half-and-half if you want your soup to be a bit more creamy.)