Cold Curry Cauliflower Soup--Smooth, Simple, & Yummy! - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Soup
1 cauliflower, trimmed and cut into pieces
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup half-and-half (or milk)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
2 tablespoons curry powder, preferably homemade (see recipe below)
2 teaspoons grated fresh gingerroot
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch, to thicken
Curry Powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon peppercorn
1 teaspoon cardamom pod

Preparation

Soup:
Steam the cut cauliflower until tender. Drain and add back to pot.
Add chicken stock, milk, olive oil, grated ginger, and spices. Boil until nicely blended and cauliflower starts to disintegrate, about 10 minutes.
Either pour the soup into a blender or food processor to blend, or use a hand-held mixer to smooth the soup into a lovely, creamy consistency.
Mix cornstarch with a couple tablespoons of water to make a smooth paste. Stir this cornstarch paste into the hot soup until it has thickened, and then remove it from heat.
Let cool in the refrigerator until time to serve. Place shaved ice in each bowl and then place a smaller terrine on top of the ice. Ladle the soup into the smaller terrines. Enjoy on a hot day, letting guests add in cayenne or other spicy seasonings to taste.
Curry Powder:
Place whole spices in a heavy frying pan (without oil--just directly in the pan) and toast over low-medium heat, stirring to toast all sides of the spices. Remove and cool. Transfer to a grinder, such as a coffee grinder or a blender on high. Grind and remove to an air-tight container.
Note: Whole turmeric is hard to find, but the other spices are easy. Make this recipe in much larger batches, say, 1/4 cup increments, and store it for later use or even place in fancy containers for gift-giving. Enjoy!