If you had told me I’d be coming up with a recipe for cauliflower soup a few years ago, I’d have told you ‘no way’. I’ve always thought of cauliflower as a bit bland, and in fact, most of the soup recipes I’ve tried haven’t done much to change my mind. This recipe takes a few elements from different recipes, as well as some of my own to produce what I consider to be a soup that is comforting, surprisingly light, and delicious.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium leeks (white part only), chopped
1/4 cup all purpose flour
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup white wine (optional)
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
2 cups heavy cream (half and half may be substituted)
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1 tablespoons fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
Directions
In a large saucepan over medium heat add the butter and leeks and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the flour, stirring until flour has been incorporated. Add the stock, wine, cauliflower and potato and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes, then in batches, add the soup to a food processor or blender and puree. Return the soup to the pot and add the cream and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for about 15 minutes to allow the soup to thicken a bit. Stir in the chopped sage, thyme and nutmeg if using. Garnish with thyme if desired.
Variation
Try adding some sharp cheddar during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
This recipe may be doubled and frozen.
In the colder months, a hearty soup can be made into a simple meal with the addition of some bread and a salad. In fact, that’s what I’m planning on doing tonight with my ‘grandmother’s Italian Wedding Soup‘. It’s great to freeze soup and have some on hand for those days when you just don’t feel like cooking, or don’t have the time.
Oh, and about the green soup bowl..I figured if I was going to blog about soup, I’d better get some bowls that aren’t white or light (like in the Wedding Soup post) so I headed over to The Christmas Tree Shop and got this green one and an orange one for less than $4.00 for both. Score!
Happy Eating (no slurping allowed)!
cynthia keeley says
Looks yummy and I love cauliflower anyway! Gonna give this one a try. 🙂