North African Cauliflower Soup

Adapted from Moosewood Cooks at Home

Ingredients:
2 1/2 C chopped onions (1 large onion)
1 T vegetable oil
2 C diced potatoes (1 large baking potato)
1 medium head cauliflower (about 5 C chopped)
2 t ground cumin
1 1/2 t ground fennel
4 C hot water
1 T vegetable bouillon powder or one cube
2 t fresh lemon juice
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Toppings:
Chopped fresh tomatoes
Steamed carrot chunks (diced carrots)
Plumped raisins

Directions:
1. In a soup pot on medium heat, sauté the onions in the oil for 5-10 minutes, until translucent. While the onions sauté, dice the potatoes and chop the cauliflower.
2. Stir the cumin, fennel, and potatoes into the pot, and cook for a minute. Then add the hot water. Cover, turn up the heat, and bring to a boil. Add the cauliflower and bouillon, and return to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
3. In a food processor, purée 1/2 to 2/3 of the vegetables and all of the broth until smooth. Add puréed mixture to remaining vegetables; add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Reheat soup if necessary, taking care not to scorch it.
4. Serve with bowls of toppings for garnish. Looks kind of like oatmeal, but with a completely different flavor. One bowl is quite filling; serve with salad and/or multigrain rolls.

Makes 4-6 servings; each 8-oz serving has about 90 calories and less than 3 grams of fat.