Curried cauliflower soup

It will take you only about 10 minutes to prep the ingredients for this comforting soup. Curry flavors and cauliflower always make a good match. 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger 2 teaspoons curry powder 2 teaspoons cumin seeds, ground 2 pounds cauliflower (1 medium head), roughly chopped 1 russet potato, peeled and diced, or 1/2 cup rice 2 quarts water, vegetable stock or chicken stock Salt to taste Freshly ground pepper Chopped cilantro for garnish 1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder and ground cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the cauliflower, potato or rice, water or stock, and salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. 2. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup (or you can use a regular blender, working in batches and placing a kitchen towel over the top to avoid splashing) until it is very smooth. Return to the pot, heat through, add freshly ground pepper and adjust salt. Serve, garnishing each bowl with chopped cilantro. Yield: 6 to 8 servings. Advance preparation: You can make this a day ahead, but you may have to thin it out with a little water or stock when you reheat. Nutritional information per serving (6 servings): 71 calories; 0 grams saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 11 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 31 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 2 grams protein