How to Make Cauliflower Soup in 20 Minutes

 

 

There's nothing quite like a steaming bowl of soup to set your mood right. The ultimate comfort food, soup can be made a billion and one different ways. We LOVE soup here at EatingWell (so much so that we dedicated an entire cookbook to all things soup). One of our all-time favorites is this easy Cauliflower Soup. A healthy take on a loaded baked potato, this creamy cauliflower soup has all the fixings of a loaded potato (bacon included) but with fewer calories and carbs. Ready in a quick 20 minutes, this easy soup is great for busy weeknights or can be meal-prepped ahead of time to take for lunch or frozen for a ready-made meal down the road. This recipe was originally made for one serving, but can be easily adapted to serve more.
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People just can't seem to get enough cauliflower, whether it's a traditional side dish or a recipe where cauliflower takes the place of a carb-heavy ingredient (like in these Cauliflower Everything Bagels). Cauliflower is still having its moment in the spotlight, and we don't see that changing anytime soon, especially since low-carb diets like keto, paleo and Whole30 (which use cauliflower as a low-carb replacement for everything from rice to pizza crust) show no signs of slowing down. Whether you're looking to eat low-carb, or just want a delicious vegetable soup recipe to make for lunch or dinner, this 20-minute cauliflower soup is a healthy, easy option.

3 Ways This Cauliflower Soup Is Healthier Than a Loaded Potato

Now, don't get us wrong—you can totally make a healthier version of a loaded potato (browse our healthy baked potato recipes here). And potatoes themselves are a healthy food and just tend to get a bad rap. But we're talking a loaded baked potato that you'd find in a chain restaurant that can be upwards of 450 calories with 65 grams of carbs and 550 mg of sodium. The benefits of cauliflower over potatoes in this recipe is that it helps to keep the carbs in check, provides nutrients like vitamin C and fiber and, being part of the cruciferous vegetable family, is known to have anti-cancer properties. A delicious alternative, this Cauliflower Soup is healthier than a traditional loaded potato in three major ways.

1. It swaps in low-carb cauliflower for potatoes.

Cauliflower acts as an ultimate carb replacer, taking the place of potatoes and cutting the carbs down to just 15 grams per serving. And while the carbs that come from potatoes aren't bad, if you're looking to eat fewer carbs, substituting cauliflower is an easy way to do that. And with two full cups of cauliflower per serving, you're getting a healthy serving of vegetables in each bowl. Additionally, Greek yogurt, cream cheese and bacon combine to provide 21 grams of satisfying protein, helping to give this meal more staying power.

2. It has all the toppings of a loaded potato without going overboard.

What would a loaded potato be without all the toppings? While add-ons like cheese, bacon and sour cream make the dish what it is, it doesn't take long until you're over the edge on calories and sodium. We doctored this recipe to still include those delicious flavors but in healthier amounts, and we opt for low-calorie or low-sodium versions of some foods like bacon and cream cheese. Plus, we added in an extra kick of flavor from fresh parsley and lemon zest.

3. It's super-creamy without the need for tons of cream.

Using cream cheese in place of heavy cream, and blending the cauliflower to a smooth consistency, gives this soup the same rich flavor and creamy texture you'd find in a cream-based soup. Love this hack? Don't miss our Creamy White Chili with Cream Cheese recipe.

 

Ingredients

For 1 serving
2 cups cooked cauliflower florets
2/3 to 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth, divided
Dash of garlic powder
Dash of black pepper
1 ounce reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel)
1/3 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
2 slices lower-sodium, less-fat bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
1 teaspoon snipped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

1. Get Blending

Make the base of the soup by combining cooked cauliflower with broth, garlic powder and pepper in a blender or food processor. Keep blending until you get that smooth consistency we're looking for. Add more broth if you find the soup is too thick to blend smoothly.

2. Heat It Up

Transfer the blended cauliflower to a saucepan and heat until just boiling. Mix in cream cheese until it's fully incorporated, plus more broth as need to reach desired consistency.

3. Add the Toppings

The last step is to add all the tasty toppings that make this a "loaded" cauliflower soup. A dollop of Greek yogurt (or if you want to pipe on a design like we did, here's a hack for doing so), crumbled bacon, fresh parsley and a little lemon zest go a long way in bumping up the flavor. Want to keep this recipe vegetarian? Use "no-chicken" broth and try topping the soup with a different salty, crunchy topping instead of bacon, like french-fried onions.

4. Enjoy!

Meal-Prep a Big Batch and Freeze for Later

This Cauliflower Soup can easily be made ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen for a quick ready-made dinner on a busy weeknight or a packable work lunch.

Bump Up the Servings

This recipe was originally made for one serving and is easily adaptable to serve more. Here are the ingredient amounts if you're looking to increase the servings.
For 2 servings: 4 cups cauliflower + 1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cups broth + garlic powder and black pepper to taste + 2 oz. cream cheese + 2/3 cup Greek yogurt + 4 slices bacon + 2 tsp. parsley + 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
For 4 servings: 8 cups cauliflower + 2 2/3 to 3 cups broth + garlic powder and black pepper to taste + 4 oz. cream cheese + 1 1/3 cups Greek yogurt + 8 slices bacon + 4 tsp. parsley + 1 tsp. lemon zest
For 8 servings: 16 cups cauliflower + 5 to 6 cups broth + garlic powder and black pepper to taste + 8 oz. cream cheese + 2 2/3 cups Greek yogurt + 16 slices bacon + 8 tsp. parsley + 2 tsp. lemon zest

Meal-Prep Steps

1. Prepare through Step 2 and allow the soup to cool.
2. Transfer to a container with a lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
3. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop and add toppings just before serving.

 

Couscous Salad

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  Ingredients

• from: Diabetic Living Magazine
  Mango, bell peppers, and black beans combine with whole-wheat couscous in this Caribbean-inspired grain salad. The ginger-lime dressing has a touch of cayenne pepper and provides just the right amount of zing!
   
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger or ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1¼ cups water

• 1 cup whole-wheat couscous
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups coarsely shredded fresh spinach
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 medium mango, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions
•  

  Preparation

• For dressing, whisk together cilantro, lime juice, oil, ginger, salt, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
• Bring the 1¼ cups water to boiling in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir in couscous; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Let stand at room temperature about 10 minutes or until cool.
• Stir together beans, spinach, bell pepper, mango, and scallions in a large bowl. Add couscous and reserved dressing. Toss to coat. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap or foil and chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

What is diffrence between Collagen and Bone broth

have been hearing so much about the benefits of Collagen and bone broth lately.  What is the difference between them?  Which would give me better nutritional value?  Thanks! –K. S. 
This is a question that I have been thinking about a lot lately, and I am happy to have a chance to address it.  Some use the terms collagen, collagen peptides, gelatin, and bone broth interchangeably because they are all comprised of the same 18 types of amino acids, but there are unique traits that each possess.

Let’s begin with collagen.  What is collagen?

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. It is the substance that holds all living tissues together. Collagen is the long-chain of amino acids that is found in bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, joints, blood vessels, organs and skin.  In its original form, collagen cannot be absorbed through our diet because it is formed from three very long chains of over 1,000 amino acids twisting into a helix.  The natural strength of collagen in its full length form is what makes it difficult to break down in digestion, and it remains too large to cross the intestinal wall.

What is the difference between collagen and collagen peptides?

Collagen peptides are made by breaking down full-length collagen molecules so that they are smaller and more easily absorbed.  They are made from the same amino acids, but because they are smaller, collage
n peptides can be digested and enter the blood stream.  Once in the bloodstream the collagen peptides travel to the targeted tissues

in the body, bone, cartilage, skin, etc, where the body’s cells will use these smaller peptide building blocks to construct the full-length collagen strands to repair and sustain the body.

What is the difference between hydrolyzed collagen and collagen peptides?

Some people are confused when these two terms are used, however they are referring to the same thing.  Collagen peptides are what occur when you break down full length collagen through hydrolysis.

What is gelatin?  Is it different from collagen/ collagen peptides?

Gelatin is collagen that has been partially broken down, but is not as small or easily absorbed as collagen peptides.  Gelatin will only dissolve in hot liquid, while collagen peptides will dissolve in liquids of any temperature.

What is unique about bone broth?

Bone broth is a time honored process of slowly cooking bones in water to form gelatin that dissolves in the broth.  The health benefits from broth are found in the dissolved gelatin.  However, while bone broth is an excellent ingredient to cook with, it is less effective than supplementing with collagen peptides.  Why is this?  Because collagen peptides are smaller and more easily absorbed into the bloodstream than gelatin.  In addition collagen peptides cause fewer digestive symptoms than the gelatin found in bone broth and it is possible to notice an improvement in health sooner with the more easily absorbed collagen peptide supplements.

Bone broth is often not cooked in a way to maximize nutritional efficacy.

Most people only simmer their broth for a few hours, but for maximal nutrient release it is necessary to simmer the broth for much longer periods of time, ideally 20+ hours.  Even after this more prolonged simmering, the amount of collagen released into a serving of chicken bone broth is 6 grams.  It is also important to consider the quality of the animal bones that are used to make the broth.  A nutritionally superior bone broth should be made using the bones from grass fed cattle, pastured poultry or wild caught fish.  Since you will be extracting the nutrients and ingesting them in a more highly concentrated form, it is important that the animal was healthy.  While it is possible, to find these high quality bones to make broth, it may be difficult to acquire enough to make sufficient quantities of broth to ingest to get your recommended 5-8 grams of collagen a day, especially as some recipes call for five to six pounds of bones for every gallon of stock.  In addition, bone broth doesn’t have the other added nutrients that are necessary for optimal collagen absorption.

Gelatin and collagen are two proteins that are commonly associated with health benefits such as healing leaky gut, promoting skin health, improving digestion, and reducing joint pain.
Oftentimes, you may see gelatin and collagen used interchangeably. But while they come from the same sources — bones, skin, and tissue — they’re not the same thing.

Gelatin vs Collagen: Similar, But Different

As mentioned, collagen is found in bones and connective tissue. Since it’s too tough to eat tendons or ligaments, these parts must be cooked down using a process called partial hydrolysis to make the collagen digestible. The hydrolyzing and drying of the bones and tissue is what forms gelatin powder. In other words, gelatin is the cooked form of collagen.
Making bone broth is one of the most delicious ways to get more collagen and gelatin into your diet. By simmering animal bones and animal tissue in water with other aromatics for 20 to 24 hours, the collagen and gelatin get released from the bones and make their way into your tasty soup.
When it comes to collagen supplements, you may have heard of hydrolyzed collagen or collagen peptides. This form of collagen is simply hydrolyzed gelatin that has been more aggressively processed to form smaller proteins, which can be easily absorbed in the digestive tract.
Simply put, the differences between collagen and gelatin come down to how they’re processed. The processing method is what gives collagen and gelatin different textures, unique health benefits, and allows them to be therapeutic in different ways.
So, should you use collagen peptides or gelatin? Let’s take a quick look at the similar health benefits of collagen and gelatin, followed by their differences, so you can decide which one is best for you.

What Collagen and Gelatin Have in Common

First, let’s break down the makeup of each. Since collagen and gelatin are derived from the same sources, the have identical amino acid profiles. Most of the essential amino acids found in gelatin and collagen are highly anti-inflammatory (unlike some other animal proteins), which makes them beneficial for supporting overall health and well-being.
Gelatin and collagen contain the amino acids proline and glucosamine, as well as proteins called glycosaminoglycans. All of these nutrients support joint health by promoting the growth of new cartilage and cushioning the joints (1, 2). Having more of these nutrients has been found to help reduce the pain associated with arthritis, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
The amino acid glycine is also found in gelatin and collagen. As a powerful natural anti-inflammatory, glycine also helps to improve joint function, but has the added benefit of supporting healthy nervous system function, improving sleep quality, building collagen, and strengthening the intestinal lining (3, 4). As you can see, glycine is one of the reasons why collagen and gelatin provide health benefits to the entire human body.
Lastly, one of the most important nutrients for healthy, younger-looking skin is collagen.
As the most abundant protein found in your skin, collagen helps preserve skin elasticity to keep it smooth, supple, and youthful. Since our bodies begin to produce less collagen once we hit age 25, consuming gelatin and collagen through your diet is especially helpful to improve your skin health from the inside out (5). Collagen has taken the skincare industry by storm thanks to these potential benefits, however the jury is still out on whether or not supplemental collagen is as effective as consuming it in whole foods since your skin doesn’t absorb collagen topically. As a protein, collagen is also a primary building block for healthy teeth, bones, hair, and nails (6).
 hen collagen is boiled, partially hydrolyzed, and dried to form gelatin, it turns into a brittle, dry powder. But when mixed with hot liquids, it dissolves into a gel-like substance (hence the name gelatin). If you’ve eaten Jell-O before, you’ve had gelatin.
The gelatinous texture of gelatin is why it’s useful to add gelatin to your recipes as a thickening agent (such as homemade gravy, vitamin gummy candies, and soup). The gel-like texture also determines how it’s digested and absorbed by your body, which can influence certain aspects of your health — from balancing blood sugar levels to intestinal repair.

Gut Repair

Picture gelatin as a thick, goopy gel when it’s being digested and absorbed in your intestinal tract. It moves sluggishly and is slower to digest, which is why it’s said to help soothe and coat the gut lining.
Since gelatin is 30 percent glycine, it’s one of the richest sources of glycine on the planet. Glycine has been shown to improve gut health by repairing the intestinal wall, and sealing the gut lining — which is essential for healing leaky gut syndrome and the autoimmune conditions that stem from leaky gut, such as rheumatoid arthritis and allergies (7, 8).
The benefits of gelatin for healing the GI tract also make it one of the top foods to eat on the GAPS diet, which is a gut health protocol designed to help repair the gut lining and heal digestive symptoms, leaky gut syndrome, and autoimmune diseases.

Blood Sugar Balance

One study showed that when gelatin was consumed with sugar, it reduced the glucose response by nearly 50 percent (9). This suggests that gelatin is an effective protein for reducing blood sugar spikes and crashes when consumed with high carb meals. Therefore, gelatin may also be helpful for managing and improving Type 2 diabetes and other blood sugar imbalances (10).
It’s possible that the slow digestion and absorption rate of gelatin is one factor that allows it to reduce insulin spikes, but the study specifically mentions the high glycine content in gelatin for reducing the glucose response. Since collagen peptides also contain glycine, it’s possible they may have a similar effect.

Digestive Health

Gelatin may improve bowel regularity, and relieve bloating and constipation. Its gel-like texture absorbs water and helps keep fluid in the intestinal tract, which is needed to promote healthy and regular bowel movements.
Gelatin has also been shown to increase gastric acid (stomach acid) production, which improves digestion and nutrient absorption.

Side Effects of Gelatin

Some may experience digestive symptoms such as gas, bloating, and heartburn when first adding gelatin to their diets, or from eating too much. This is because the larger molecules of gelatin are “heavier” and can be harder to digest.
To avoid these symptoms, it’s best to start with a small serving size of gelatin (such as 1 teaspoon) and gradually increase to 1 or 1 1/2 tablespoons.

Key Health Benefit of Collagen Peptides (Hydrolyzed Collagen)

 

Easy to Absorb

As we covered, powdered collagen supplements are gelatin that’s been processed more aggressively using hydrolysis, which forms smaller molecules called short chain peptides.
These short chain peptides are easier for your body to digest and absorb, which means the amino acids in hydrolyzed collagen may be more bioavailable and cause fewer digestive symptoms. Not only that, it’s possible that because collagen peptides are easier to absorb, you may notice the health benefits of collagen sooner when taking peptides, compared to gelatin powder.

Summary of Gelatin vs. Collagen Health Benefits

 

As you can see, gelatin and collagen both provide many of the same incredible health benefits, so there really is no wrong choice. Whether you choose gelatin or collagen comes down to how you want to use it (i.e., do you want to mix collagen in your smoothies, or add texture to your recipes?), and which form of collagen your body responds best to.
Because collagen products are made from animal products, which can sometimes be contaminated by improper farming and ranching practices, it’s important to select a high-quality product. Supplements are not evaluated by the FDA, so search for collagen powders made from organic and pasture-raised animals that have been vetted for safety and quality by a neutral third party like the National Sanitation Foundation.
Our favorite way to make sure we get enough of both? Delicious bone broth of course! Try making your own slow cooker beef bone broth, or purchase your favorite kind to drink straight from a mug or use in your recipes.
However you choose to consume collagen and gelatin, you now have a better understanding of what each one is, how they’re processed, and the benefits they provide.

EGGS BENEDICT WITH SMOKED SALMON AND SPINACH

 

 

EGGS BENEDICT WITH SMOKED SALMON AND SPINACH

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups frozen or fresh chopped spinach, thawed
• 4 ounces smoked salmon, thinly sliced
• 4 large organic free-range eggs
• 1 large tomato
• 1/2 cup Hollandaise sauce  or (recipe follows)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a saucepan, cook the spinach, drain well, and return it to the pan. Place the salmon in the pan next to the spinach.
2. Use an egg poacher to poach the eggs according to the manufacturer’s directions. (If you don’t have an egg poacher, add enough water to two medium saucepans to fill them about 2 inches deep.
3. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons vinegar to each pan and bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Crack 2 eggs into two separate small bowls, keeping the yolks intact. When the water is simmering, use the handle of a spatula or spoon to quickly stir the water (one pan at a time) in one direction until the water is swirling in the pan.
5. Gently drop 1 egg at a time into the center of the whirlpool in each pan. The swirling water will help prevent the white from feathering or spreading out in the pan.
6. Cover and let the eggs poach, setting your timer for 5 minutes; leave the eggs untouched while poaching.
7. Repeat for the second serving of eggs.
8. While the eggs are poaching, gently warm the spinach, smoked salmon, and Hollandaise sauce. Put one thick tomato slice on each of two plates. Divide the warm spinach between the two plates. Top each with half the salmon.
9. When the eggs are ready, remove them from the water with a slotted spoon, place each poached egg on top of the spinach and salmon, and drizzle with Hollandaise.