Vegetable and Cauliflower Rice Soup

Recipes
Vegetable and Cauliflower Rice Soup

This Vegetable and Cauliflower Rice Soup is a comforting way to get a ton of fiber and phytonutrient rich veggies into your diet with very little effort. Make a batch, or maybe a double batch, over the weekend to set yourself up for success during the week.

I buy my healthy pantry staples included in this recipe such as olive oil, crushed tomatoes, and organic spices at Thrive Market for a discount. My favorite deeply flavored and mineral-rich vegetable broth is from Kettle and Fire.

All other produce comes fresh from the Farmer’s Market or the Ecology Center. I try to buy in-season and local whenever I can, as this ensures my produce remains as nutrient-dense as possible. If you need some motivation to start buying local, check out my article on Understanding the Respiration Rate of Produce.

This fiber-rich Vegetable and Cauliflower Rice soup is hearty and cozy, although in warmer months, I’m happy to eat it cold! It’s a perfect nutrient-dense snack. If I were to turn it into a complete blood sugar balancing Fab Four meal, I’d add a clean protein such as shredded chicken to the soup. Alternatively, you could serve it alongside a protein-rich fish like my roasted salmon.

To learn more about how to use the Fab Four to balance blood sugar, experience real satiety after a meal, and improve your health and body composition markers, check out the wide range of resources I have available to make it happen, starting now:

  • Prep Time

    5 minutes

  • Total Time

    40 minutes

  • Servings

    4

  • Freezer Friendly

    Yes

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups 1/2-inch-diced celery
  • 2 cups small broccoli florets
  • 2 cups 1/2-inch-diced zucchini
  • 2 cups 1/2-inch-diced carrots
  • 1 yellow and 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 1 (12-ounce) bag frozen or uncooked cauliflower rice
  • 2 (1-quart) boxes of organic vegetable broth
  • 1 (13-ounce) box crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cups finely chopped kale
  • Pink Himalayan salt
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley, or 2 tablespoons freshly minced parsley (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder (optional)

Directions

  1. Rinse and chop the celery, broccoli, zucchini, carrots and peppers into 1/2 inch pieces.
  2. In a large pot over medium-low heat, add olive oil and the onion and garlic to sweat (cook without coloring) until tender. Add the celery, broccoli, zucchini, carrots, peppers, and the cauliflower rice, increase the heat to medium and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork tender, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add the broth and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for 6-8 minutes.
  4. Blend half of the crushed tomatoes into a puree and pour them into the soup to thicken the broth.
  5. Add the remaining crushed tomatoes to the soup to add chunks.
  6. Stir in the kale and simmer for 1-2 minutes to wilt, then season to taste with salt. If you like more spice, add the smoked paprika, parsley, cumin, and chili powder and stir to combine. Remove from heat and serve warm.