This past weekend we met up with the Paleo Chicago group to try Uno’s Chicago meatza. I definitely prefer Lou Malnati’s meatza over Uno’s but regardless of either location it’s good to know that a Paleo pizza alternative exists, especially since it’s not on the menu. If you’re looking for some place to eat out in Chicago, definitely mention the crustless alternative at Lou’s or ask for a sausage crust at Uno’s. While we were hanging with the Paleo Chicago group, Anthony asked if I would post the recipe for this Paleo Sweet Potato Basil and Sneaky Cauliflower Soup, so by request, here it is! :)
The color of this Paleo Sweet Potato Basil and Sneaky Cauliflower Soup might throw you for a loop. Jeff immediately wanted to know why the sweet potato soup didn’t come out looking orange colored. We then got into a discussion about the difference between sweet potatoes (which are white) and yams (which are the familiar orange). For a deeper look into all the different sweet potato/yam varieties, Mark has a great resource about all the starchy tubers here.
But Jeff was right, this soup comes out looking more like pea soup rather than the expected orange, but the taste is definitely familiar. Cooked peas just don’t taste good to me. I’m more a fan of raw peas taken from the garden, eaten still in or out of the pea pod, on their own for a snack, or as a topping for a salad. But this soup doesn’t have any peas added, even though I was sneaky with the vegetables on this soup recipe and added cauliflower, you’d never guess it was in there when you taste it. If you have a slow cooker and a blender, this is a pretty easy process.
With all the school closures, I hear Chicago’s supposed to get hit with a pretty bad snow storm, so soup may be a good choice today.
I’d love to hear from YOU!
If you give this recipe a try, let me know how it turns out. I love hearing from other Paleo peeps, especially if you try out a recipe I made or use it for a base. :) Most recently I heard from Alicia, in China! She shared with me a photo of her Vegetarian Eggplant Stew and pesto zucchini with chickpeas over salad. She was planning ahead and transfered her eggplant stew into batches served over cauliflower rice to take with her to work. Here’s a little word from Alicia about Paleo cooking in China.
“A little background info on China kitchens: ovens are extremely rare, as baking is not part of the cuisine. I live in a ‘local’ complex, not a luxury expat compound, so I bought a toaster oven to meet my baking needs. Stovetops usually are two attached burners and are often just placed on top of the counter. Some places have electrical burners instead, which are basically hotplates. Even many newer buildings (built in the last ten years) have kitchens so small that a refrigerator won’t fit - it’s common to see refrigerators in the living room, a throwback to the 80s and 90s, when it was still a really big deal to have one and people wanted to show them off to their visitors. When I’m going to cook I plan what I’ll need and stack it on the kitchen counter so that I don’t have to make a lot of trips to the living room for ingredients. The kitchen itself barely has enough room for two people to stand together, so if friends are over while I’m cooking they usually stand in the hallway to chat. It makes most NYC kitchens seem cavernous in comparison.
It can be difficult to impossible to find decent cookware here. The pan you see in the photo is one I bought in NY back in the early 90s - it’s moved to Ecuador, back to NY, and most recently to China with me and is still as good as new. Quality cookware is worth the investment!”
Thanks so much for sharing Alicia and Grok-on! :)
