If you, like me, have been trying hard to make friends with your Crock-Pot, you’ve probably noticed that all the easy recipes are for big hunks of meat. Warm, wholesome and satisfying they may be, but few are good partners in the quest to eat light.

"The 150 Healthiest Slow Cooker Recipes on Earth," by Jonny Bowden and Jeannette Bessinger (Fair Winds Press, $24.99) offers an antidote.

Bowden, a nutritionist based in Southern California, and Bessinger, a chef from Rhode Island, formed a cross-country partnership to put together a collection of recipes that gives far more options for vegetables, beans, seafood and whole-grain fare than you’ll find in a typical slow-cooker book. They don’t ban meat from their menu, but do insist on grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish and pasture-raised poultry.

It was the middle of the March rainstorms when this book arrived, so I was drawn to a soup recipe, but I’ve made note of several others worth a test drive, particularly those with beans, wild rice and barley. Next time.

Bowden gives this curried soup good-for-you points thanks to the cauliflower ("a member of the Brassica family of vegetable royalty") and the spice turmeric ("one of the healthiest foods on the planet — anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and liver-protective").

If you are not well stocked in turmeric or, for that matter, cardamom, try a natural foods store such as Down to Earth, where you can buy a tiny amount rather than invest in a whole bottle you might never use up.

This soup could also be made with another vegetable — carrots, broccoli, butternut squash or a nice, fat kabocha would all work well.

Curried Coconut Cream of Cauliflower Soup

2-1/2 pounds cauliflower, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large sweet onions, chopped (Vidalia preferred)
2-1/2 teaspoons curry powder
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) can light coconut milk
1-1/2 cups frozen peas (optional)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro 

Place cauliflower in 4- to 6-quart slow cooker.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions; cook about 5 minutes, until just softened. Stir in spices and cook 1 minute Add broth and salt and stir.

Pour into slow-cooker over cauliflower, scraping everything out of skillet. Stir in coconut milk. Cook on high 3 hours or low 6 hours, until cauliflower is very tender. Puree using an immersion wand, or in batches in a blender, to desired consistency (soup can be very smooth and creamy or chunky).

Stir in peas, taste and adjust seasonings, and cook 10 minutes longer on low. Stir in cilantro just before serving. Serves 6 to 8.

Approximate nutritional value, per serving: 123.5 calories, 39 calories from fat, 4.5 g fat, no cholesterol, 551.6 mg sodium, 18.7 g carbohydrate, 6.4 g fiber, 5.4 g sugar, 4.6 g protein

Send recipe requests to "By Request," 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813. Or email bshimabukuro@staradvertiser.com.