Comfort Food

We live in Beer Sheva. As of last night, we are officially in a war zone. Several missiles launched from Gaza have landed here. Schools are closed (One missile hit an empty school building this morning.) and many people are staying close to home. Thank God, there have been no injuries so far.

Otherwise, life is fairly normal. The man from the gas company brought our new gas canister and UPS was just here to pick up a package. Even Teva Ha’bsor, our organic produce provider, which is very close to Gaza, is open and working. Their plan is to deliver tomorrow, as usual.

During times of stress, many people turn to food for comfort. It’s understandable. Anxiety and fear affect our physical as well as our mental health. Some people lose their appetite. Others feel like eating more. Many of us crave something soothing, like ice cream, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and chocolate.

Everyone has their favorites. For me, it’s soup. Right now I want something warm, creamy and satisfying. I don’t want to fuss around a lot in the kitchen. And I want to use what’s already in the refrigerator. With an onion, potatoes and cauliflower, here’s what I made:

Curried Cauliflower Soup (Parve)

1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cauliflower, chopped coarsely (about 8 cups)
1 or 2 potatoes, peeled and diced (about 1 ½ cups)
8 cups vegetable broth or water
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft. Add the curry powder and sugar and cook for another minute. Add the cauliflower, potato and broth. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat and cook covered for 30-45 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Puree the soup (I use a hand-held immersion blender) and serve.

8-10 servings