Cauliflower soup for chilly temps
velvety, lusciously flavorful, dairy-free and yours in 20 mins...+ a few announcements
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We have hit the first streak of real cold weather (under 40F / 10C), which means - for me at least - soup season is officially game on. I happened to spot some gorgeous sprouting cauliflower at the market last weekend — it’s just like normal cauiflower, but looks like a sprouted hand instead of a bulbous head and it tends to be even more delicious and flavorful — which sparked a long-ago tucked away memory of a soup, probably one of my favorites, from my former cafe, Nourish. The origins of this soup run at least 15 years now, and somehow I’ve left it dormant in recent winters. No more, joyful, bowl-filling resurrection has commenced and it’s left me, and hopefully you, very satisfied. In under 20 minutes (ok, maybe 25 with some sauteeing time), you can blitz this soup up into velvety goodness and top it off with anything that sounds delicious to you / or anything that is lying around in your fridge…lemon zest, seared Brussels sprout leaves, crispy bits of bacon, a grating of parmesan or gouda, some chili oil or flakes, old sourdough or rye bread crisped with garlic into craggy croutons/breadcrumbs, or simply a pinch of flaky sea and nice olive oil.
Recipe is below is just below these quick few announcements:
BK GREENMARKET DEMO 11/16! If you’re located in Brooklyn, I’ll be doing a demo this Sunday morning (10-12pm) at the Carroll Gardens Greenmarket alongside Hidden Acre Farm — come find me for some pre-Thanksgiving inspo…carrots, hakurei turnips & honey nut squash roasted with ras el hanout spice & sage sitting a top a pillowy bed of labneh and lightly bathed in nutty browned butter. This is a GREAT side dish for a Thanksgiving table and it can be all yours - recipe highlighted in this post from last year (scroll to the bottom).
ALL MY RECS IN 1 PLACE! If you’ve ever wondered what my favorite kitchen tools are (I can count them on one hand), my go-to pantry items; my ride or die vinegar, olive oil (it’s Psyche Organic!), spice blend brands etc.; the ceramics and tableware items that make every dish sing a little more special; my greenmarket shopping routine and tips; and my restaurant picks (and more) in cities around the globe…well, now you have them all! I’ve got a new page that launched on Rec League, a brand new platform for…”recs” of all kinds. Head here for some all sorts of things food/wellness/culinary-travel & lifestyle related. A sneak peak…
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And now for some very quick, very delicious Cauliflower Soup!
Cauliflower Soup with Chef’s Kiss (Your Choice) Garnish
Makes about 2 liters/quarts
1 1/2 -2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4-6 garlic cloves, finely minced
1-2 shallots, finely minced
1 small onion, medium dice
2 regular-sized (small-medium) heads of cauliflower (or 1 XL sized, or the equivalent in sprouting cauliflower , trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 liter / quart chicken broth (or sub in veg broth and make it vegan!)
3/4 to 1 liter / quart water (depending on desired consistency and how big / not big, your cauliflower is)
1 bay leaf (perhaps a sprig or 2 of thyme or sage if you wish)
zest of 1 lemon
kosher salt or sea salt to taste
dash of white pepper to taste
a hint of ground nutmeg
for the chef’s kiss garnish…let your imagination, and your resourcefulness, run wild
some possibilities: minced chive; more lemon zest; seared Brussels sprout leaves or sauteed leafy greens; make it meta with more roasted cauliflower or romanesco; crispy bits of bacon; a grating of parmesan, cheddar, blue cheese or gouda, really any cheese will work; some chili oil or flakes; old sourdough or rye breadcrumbs/croutons; good olive oil; a throw back to the early aughts—truffle oil! (it’s actually really tasty)
Method:
In a stock pot, saute garlic, shallot and onion in oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add in cauliflower florets and saute another 5-7 minutes, just long enough so that the cauli gets a tiny bit of color/caramelization on it and starts to smell deliciously fragrant. Season alliums and cauli with a bit of salt and white pepper. Add in your stock, water and bay leaf, thyme / sage if using. Bring heat up to medium-high long enough for everything to come a boil and then lower, simmering until cauliflower is soft, about 20 minutes. Using a hand-immersion blender or regular blender, blitz everything until creamy and delightfully smooth (or a little chunky…I am a full proponent of chunks). Adjust salt and pepper as needed. Whisk in nutmeg and lemon zest. Serve with all / any garnish you wish.
