It’s sweater weather! It’s soup season! We have to lean into the positives of this impending winter or we will all go crazy. So, I am sharing a rich and savory recipe I just learned from my Auntie Nawal. The recipe is a bit vague (as it can be with soup), but I hope that encourages you to embrace your instincts when cooking. It’s the only way I know how to do it. 

I picked this recipe to share because every so often, I feel a pull to reconnect with my Palestinian heritage. After the Israel-Hamas war broke out last month, my cousin and I began inviting my auntie to our homes to teach us one of our favorite recipes from her catalog of greatest hits. It turns out, food and togetherness really can be so healing, especially when you’re feeling helpless watching so many others suffer.  

This Tomato Cauliflower Rice soup was a recipe that I haven’t had in ages, but once I learned how easy it is to make, I’ve put it on regular rotation in my kitchen.  A few dashes of allspice is really the only thing that makes this taste/feel like a Middle Eastern recipe, so don’t be daunted if you’ve never tried this cuisine. 

Ingredients:

• 1 large yellow onion, diced

• 3 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 small head of cauliflower, chopped into small pieces[

• 3 large cans of tomato sauce

• 1 32 oz. carton of Chicken or vegetable stock (add a little at a time, you might only use half)

• 1 cup of white rice

• Salt and pepper to taste

• A couple of generous shakes of allspice

Instructions:

1. Saute garlic and onion in olive oil until it starts to brown

2. Toss in cauliflower pieces and mix thoroughly with salt, pepper and allspice

3. Add in tomato sauce and half the carton on stock, bring to a low boil

4. Allow it to lightly boil for 15 minutes or so and throw in the rice (rinse it in a colander beforehand. I always used to skip this step, but my Auntie says its essential for a better consistency)

5. Allow the rice to cook for another 15 mins or so while you stir and check the taste. I often add a bit more pepper because it pairs so well with the allspice.

Now when my son asks for something “warm and soothing” to eat when he gets home after school, I have this ready. I hope it brings you the same comfort.