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Sugars: 5 g

Protein: 5 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 880 mg

Vitamin A: 10%

Vitamin C: 90%

Calcium: 8%

Iron: 8%

If you use the pine

nuts, you will have

20 more calories and

2 more grams of fat

per serving.

Inspired by a big old bowl of pesto, this soup gets you there without all the fatty nuts and oily oils. Basil and cauliflower are pureed, and garnished with a little more basil and some toasted pine nuts. Its simple flavors are more reminiscent of something you’d order in a trattoria in Venice than of a big sloppy cup of soup in downtown Manhattan, so light some candles, unfold your finest linen tablecloth, and sip away like the refined individual you are. Oh, and although it might be tempting to eat all those pine nuts in one big bite, resist the urge and try to savor them throughout the soup. If you’d prefer something with less fat, you can omit the nuts, though. Serve with some bread or nice big entrée salad.

1 teaspoon olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 head cauliflower (about pound), leaves removed,

cut into florets

4 cups broth

½ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon arrowroot powder

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, plus a little extra

for garnish

6 teaspoons toasted pine nuts (optional)

Preheat a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Sauté the garlic in the olive oil for about a minute, being careful not to let it burn. Add the cauliflower, 3 cups of the broth (alert! only three! you’ll be adding the last cup in a bit), salt, and several pinches of pepper. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Let cook, stirring every now and again, for about 10 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender.

Vigorously mix together the final cup of broth and the arrowroot until dissolved. Lower heat a bit so that the soup is at a slow boil. Mix in the arrowroot mixture and cook uncovered for another 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Add the basil leaves and remove from heat. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. Taste for salt.

TIP

The cauliflower is getting pureed, so don’t worry about chopping the florets in uniform-size pieces. just have at it; it shouldn’t take more than 2 minutes to chop. And when you puree, really puree! Don’t be lazy about it. Get it really smooth and creamy.

If you don’t have a immersion blender (get one!), then use a blender or a food processor to puree it in batches, being careful to lift the lid once in a while so that the steam doesn’t build up and explode.

Serve the soup garnished with chopped fresh basil and a teaspoon of pine nuts. To garnish, carefully place a little pile of basil on the soup, and then rest the pine nuts on the basil. If it sinks, oh well! It will taste just as yummy.

INGREDIENT SCAVENGER HUNS

Pine nuts (also called pignolis) can be super pricy, so buy them in the bulk section of your health food superstore and save a few bucks. Buying in bulk lets you control how much you purchase, so if you’re only planning on using ¼ cup, that’s all you need to buy. I store mine in the freezer to keep them fresh and then toast them as needed. It seems crazy that they’re so expensive but if you think about how they’re cultivated, you’ll understand why. They really do grow in pine cones! Thus the name. But don’t go raiding the woods in search of tonight’s dinner; there are only a few species that grow pine nuts and they are generally farmed. Stick with the bulk bins.

•To toast pine nuts, preheat a small saute pan over low heat. Add the pine nuts and stir often for about 4 minutes, or until the pine nuts are dark and toasty. Remove from heat immediately. Agood time to toast ’em in this recipe is when the cauli flower is boiling.

Caldo Verde with grumbled Tempeh

SERVES 6 • ACTIVE TIME: 20 MINUTES • TOTALTIME: 45 MINUTES

PER SERVING

(⅙ RECIPE):

Calories: 230

Calories from fat: 50

Total fat: 5 g

Saturated fat: 0.5 g

Trans fat: 0 g

Fiber: 7 g

Sugars: 4 g

Protein: 14 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 970 mg

Vitamin A: 90%

Vitamin C: 50%

Calcium: 10%

Iron: 20%

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