Roasted Cauliflower Tortilla Soup

And now for a soup that under-promises and over-delivers:

Just look at all those colors and textures! This is one of those meals that epitomizes the ol' "you eat with your eyes" saying - and the proof is in the pudding soup.

But before we get to that, a brief overview of my journey to this particular recipe.

Our tale begins circa 1993, in Los Banos, California. I'm 10 years old, my best friend is named Kelly, and we cannot get enough of Saved by The Bell. Kelly always gets to "be" Kelly Kapowski, due to the powerful combination of airtight preteen logic ("but it's already my name") and the fact that I'd rather die than deprive a friend of something she wanted, no matter how imaginary. So I'm relegated to the world of Jessie Spano and Lisa Turtle: Always the babesmaid, never the babe.

Cut to: A similar year in Anderson Township, Ohio. A young Adam (boyfriend extraordinaire, who I am to meet a good 25 years later) is learning his first lessons in true love, also at the pastel manicured hands of one Kelly Kapowski. Part of me wants to believe he's over her in the Year of Our Lord 2019, but he does still wear multiple items of SBTB fan clothing sooooooo

I mean can you blame him?

Cut to: A few weeks ago, I'm exploring the Booksellers at Fountain Square, and whaddya know? Ms. Kapowski wrote a cookbook. I buy it as a lure to get Adam to cook with me, not that I need one; he's a willing and capable partner in the kitchen, and not just because he always knows exactly how many dance breaks are needed per recipe (and remembers to put the knife down first). If I'm being overly honest, because this is not the generous spirit I try to maintain, I mainly buy the book as a bit of a joke.

And the denouement: I read through the book, my eyebrows raising higher and higher with each wholly appealing recipe (peas! kale! caramelized banana chocolate chip bread!) and finally realize: the real Kelly Kapowski has been inside me all along.

Hey, boo.

So I decided on a tortilla soup that looked light and lovely, and set to work procuring the ingredients. Already looking great, right?

Fresh and bright, crunchy and creamy, plus mostly red and green AKA the best color combination of all time #christmasforever. Tiffani Thiessen and I were clearly vibing so hard on this recipe, and you can tell I mean it because I used her real name. But then I started cooking, and immediately noticed something weird. This tortilla soup called for some spices (cumin, coriander, chili powder), but by "some" I mean 1.5 teaspoons total. Girl, what? There are two finely chopped jalapenos, too, but I was incredulous that would provide the tongue-tickling I'm looking for in a tortilla soup. In other words, my inner monologue turned immediately to "Exactly what kind of white nonsense is this?"

And if you could please explain this while you're at it.

But hey, I'm dedicated to the conceit of this season of Soupruary, so I was going to give it a go. I was already changing up the recipe to make it vegetarian, and didn't want to go too far afield. As the soup started to come together, though, my faith in Tiffani continued to wane, until my ego had me thinking "Alright, Kapowski, I may never rival your scrunchie collection or straight-up slay in a crop top, but at least I can craft a better soup recipe than you." She lost her real-name privileges real quick, honey.

By the end, I was downright dejected. The soup still tasted boring, and a boring soup stabs me right in the heart with every somniferous bite (I know, my life is so hard). Let this be a lesson: Sometimes it's not about the journey, it's about finishing strong. In the end, this was so much more than it had promised to be thanks to two clutch players swooping in to save the day:

Lime juice and cilantro gave this broth the jolt of life it needed. I'm trying to write something about the usefulness of acid and herbs that doesn't sound like a Timothy Leary quote, but you're just going to have to try it yourself to understand just how much they can alter your soup reality. Add in toppings of freshly toasted corn tortilla strips, paper thin radish and jalapeno slices, avocado and cotija, and even if the Super Bowl had been more watchable you'd still be giving all your attention to this super bowl.

One more thing: I vegged up this originally chicken-based recipe by using vegetable broth and replacing the pulled chicken with cauliflower that I roasted with cumin, chili powder and red pepper flakes. The roasted cauliflower was Adam's idea, actually - a stroke of brilliance he apparently had while sleepwalking, as he has no recollection of it. We should all be so lucky!

It was a roller coaster with Tiffani, yes. But after slurping up every last drop of my soup like it was a milkshake at The Max, I'm looking forward to the next time I Pull up a Chair.

Roasted Cauliflower Tortilla Soup

Adapted from Pull up a Chair by Tiffani Thiessen

Serves 3 or 4

Ingredients

for the cauliflower:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 head of cauliflower
a generous pinch each of cumin, chili powder and crushed red pepper flakes

for the soup:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely sliced green onions (about one standard bunch)
2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups vegetable broth
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
juice of two limes (3 to 4 tablespoons)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

for the toppings:
avocado, sliced
radishes, thinly sliced
fresh jalapeno, thinly sliced
cilantro leaves
cotija cheese, crumbled
8 corn tortillas
2 tablespoons avocado oil (or olive oil if you'd rather, nbd)
kosher salt

Method

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Chop cauliflower into bite-sized florets and transfer to a bowl, tossing with 1 tablespoon olive oil and the chili powder, cumin and red pepper flakes, plus some salt and ground black pepper. Plop it onto a rimmed baking sheet, and throw it in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until tender and browning in spots. Remove from oven, leaving oven on for tortilla strips.

While cauliflower roasts, heat 2 tablespoons oil in your soup pot over medium. Add the green onions and jalapenos, stirring occasionally, and cook for about 2 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, coriander and chili powder, and cook while stirring for another minute. Add broth and tomatoes, bring to a boil, cover and turn down to low. When cauliflower is done in the oven, transfer it to the pot.

Meanwhile, prepare your tortillas. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then slice the stack of corn tortillas into 1/2" strips. Place them in a bowl and toss with the avocado oil along with a big pinch of kosher salt. Transfer to the lined baking sheet, and cook at 400 for about 10 minutes, until crisp and golden.

Just before serving, stir the lime juice and cilantro into the soup. Serve topped with avocado, jalapeno, radish, cilantro, cotija and a big pile of crispy tortilla - and maybe a few more strips in a bowl on the side for extra snacking opportunities.