This vibrant, warm and sweet soup reminds me of the Autumn season, but I’d happily feast on it all winter though spring. It’s easy to make and really yummy. In my recipe I used some of Elemental Alchemy’s Spiced Golden Milk, which contains turmeric, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg and more. You can also substitute it for more turmeric to start and add a dash of any of those flavors you enjoy.

• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 head of cauliflower, roughly chopped
• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp Spiced Golden Milk or 1 additional tsp turmeric
• 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• Juice from ½ lime
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cilantro

In a large pot, heat olive oil and sauté onions until they start to slightly soften. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add cauliflower, cashews and salt, stir and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, and then stir in 2 ½ tsp or a combination of turmeric and Spiced Golden Milk. Cook an additional minute. Add stock. Once mixture boils, bring to a simmer and cook until cauliflower and nuts soften, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and blend soup well with an immersion blend or transfer to a blender. Add lime and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with cilantro.

Serves 6-8

It’s that time of year when our immune system may need a little help adjusting to the colder season. This dish contains ingredients that contain anti-viral properties (garlic, ginger and shiitake mushrooms, as well as antioxidants (bok choy.)  For preparation, you can either layer it noodle bowl style or combine it all before serving. The former is a prettier and more ‘bowl’ presentation, but I typically use prepared noodles and like combining them and the tofu into the broth to warm.

• 3 Tbs canola oil, divided
• 2 ½ tsp toasted sesame oil, divided
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs fresh ginger, minced
• 4 green onions, sliced, whites and greens separated
• 1 small jalapeño, ribs and seeds removed, sliced
• 4 cups broth (vegetable or chicken)
• 1 cup water (or 1 additional cup of broth)
• 2 Tbs soy sauce
• 6 to 7 oz shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 3 heads baby bok choy, thinly sliced, lengthwise
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp white pepper
• 10 oz yakisoba, soba or buckwheat soba noodles (fresh or dry)
• 1 14-oz package extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into bite-size cubes
• Cilantro for garnish
• Furikake (optional)

If using dried noodles, bring a medium saucepan to a boil.

In a large pot, heat 1 Tbs canola oil over medium-low heat. Add 2 tsp toasted sesame oil, garlic, ginger, green onion whites and jalapeño and sauté until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add broth, water and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a slight simmer.

In another large skillet, heat 2 Tbs canola oil on medium-high heat and sauté mushrooms and bok choy until the bok choy stalks become slightly translucent, about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat and add remaining ½ tsp sesame oil, salt and white pepper.

If using prepared & refrigerated noodles, add noodles to the broth mixture. Set tofu on top and return broth mixture to a simmer until noodles and tofu are warmed through.

Either add vegetables to broth mixture or bowl and serve, or for a prettier presentation, in a bowl place noodles, top with tofu and vegetables, and then add the hot broth. Garnish bowls with green onion greens, cilantro and furikake (my favorite is noritamago furikake.) Add salt, pepper if desired.

Serves 4.

This is side dish that is healing and simple. Wakame has a very cooling thermal nature and moistens dryness, which is ideal for the transition from late summer into autumn. It’s a diuretic and also one of the seaweeds highest in calcium (hijaki is the first) and is said to promote healthy hair and skin. Here I combined it with amaranth greens, which is in season from summer to mid-fall. The leaves are similar to that of spinach, and the stems are a little thicker which I chopped in ½” pieces. Amaranth greens have a deep flavor and are hearty yet tender. The overall flavor is slightly salty, sweet with a touch of pungency. If amaranth greens aren’t available, you can make this dish with any greens you choose. Kale is an accessible go-to green. This serves as a side dish or is great integrated in a soup, with rice and/or lentils, or in Asian noodle dish.  I added soy sauce to it and paired it with chow mein for dinner and the following day tossed it into a soup for lunch.

• 4 cup wakame, soaked, drained & chopped
• 2 tsp avocado or sesame oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, pressed
• 1 large bunch of greens (about 12 oz) chopped
• 2 tsp avocado or sesame oil
• 2 pinches of sea salt
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• ¼ cup stock or water, as needed

In a sauté pan, heat oil on medium heat. Sauté wakame 10 to15 minutes, adding a little water as needed. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds or until fragrant, then add greens, salt and lemon. Stir greens until they begin to wilt, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until greens are tender. Add water or stock as needed.

Serves 6-8.