with Thyme and Lemon
By Jennifer Whitmire, MS, MEd, MH, CHES, NEP
As the holidays creep in, comfort food calls louder than ever.
But most comfort foods weigh us down, leaving us foggy and inflamed. This soup does the opposite. It’s creamy, cozy, and satisfying.
Creamy Cauliflower & White Bean Soup with Thyme and Lemon
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 1 small head cauliflower, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans (navy or cannellini)
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chipotle powder or red pepper flakes, optional
Directions
Sauté onion and garlic in a splash of broth until soft.
Add cauliflower, beans, broth, and thyme. Simmer 20 minutes until cauliflower is tender.
Blend until creamy, return to pot, season, and stir in lemon juice before serving.
Optional toppings: chopped parsley, drizzle of tahini, or a little un-blended soup. I also like to add a little chipotle pepper.
Cauliflower is loaded with sulforaphane*. This is one of the most studied compounds for hormone and liver detox. White beans add fiber, protein, and resistant starch that slow glucose absorption and feed the microbiome. Thyme adds thymol, a natural antimicrobial that supports respiratory and immune health, and the lemon brightens digestion and bile flow.
*To get the benefits of sulforphane, it’s important to chop the cauliflower, set it aside of 15 minutes or so, then cook it. That allows the chemical to build, so it is still available to you after cooking.
This is a soothing meal that cools inflammation and strengthens your defenses before the holiday rush.
Eat for Calm
This time of year, the world speeds up. There’s a lot of sugar, stress, and social events. A soup like this is a reminder to come back to center. To feed your body peace instead of panic.
Inside The Culinary Healing Circle, that’s exactly what we practice: using food to find balance. Join us for November’s theme on Cooling Inflammation and Immune Retraining and head into the holidays grounded and strong.
Wholistic Jen 
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