Cauliflower, Kale & Olive Soup

A delicious and colorful variation on this previously posted recipe for Chard, Cauliflower & Olive Soup, this time I used orange cauliflower, dinosaur kale, white cannellini beans, and pressed garlic cloves in place of green garlic. I dropped the jalapeno and added red pepper flakes, and skipped the cheese.

Olives or olive pastes are a wonderful way to add depth and flavor to a vegetable soup broth. Some vegetable soup broths can lack the salty richness needed to make a good soup great and I find olives or olive paste can be added near the end to provide zip to a soup whose flavor is otherwise a little bland. Other ingredients to add zip: miso or soy sauce (for an Asian flavor), a little marmite, or any kind of pesto.

This soup was wonderful. The orange cauliflower is slightly sweeter than white, the dino kale provides tender, yet substantial greens, the beans provide a solid protein, and the olives a robust flavor. Other possibilities: sub garlicy sauteed chickpeas for the white beans, or add rosemary and/or a little tomato paste for a heavier, Italian broth (the broth here is very light). I think rice or farro might be a nice addition here if you want to make the soup more substantial. Serve with a rustic olive bread and a fruity red wine for a simple, yet hearty meal.