For week three of Soupapalooza, I was inspired by one of the few measly snowfalls we've gotten here in Minnesota to make something white and creamy. Given its availability this time of year, cauliflower seemed like the most natural choice, notwithstanding the fact that I spent most of my youth vehemently opposed to it both in theory and in practice. I didn't trust anything so stinky and frankly, so pale. But I've grown up now, and stinky and pale is alright by me.
Unfortunately, such is not the case with my family. I didn't exactly expect my kids to welcome this soup with open arms, but my husband's reaction surprised me the most. He made a full-on eeeewww sound as he peered into the pot and I saw, with piercing clarity, the nine year old boy in him. In his defense, he has come a long way since we first ordered pizza in college and I discovered he didn't like olives or mushrooms. I think he realized that this was a potential deal breaker, and he worked very hard to get over his picky eating over the ensuing years. He also had to become willing to dance, any time, any where, if he had any chance of snagging me - but that's another story. If there was ever hope for a rapprochement between him and the humble cauliflower, it would be through this soup.
The recipe I used is so simple, it almost seemed unworthy of Soupapalooza, but then I remembered the name of this website. Once again, through the wonders of my favorite kitchen tool, the immersion blender, I was able to turn out a soup that was unbelievably creamy without the addition of any dairy whatsoever. This soup could easily be made vegan, by substituting vegetable stock for the chicken stock and by omitting the parmesan. I finished it with a sprinkle of pimentón and a generous squeeze of lemon, because if you haven't noticed by now, I squeeze lemon on everything.
I absolutely love this soup. It's inexpensive to make, but tastes luxurious. It's seasonal and elegant -beautiful and healthy. Which is good, because I doubled the recipe and have A LOT of it in my freezer. Enjoy!!!!
Silky Cauliflower Soup Recipe from David Lieberman
1 head cauliflower
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan*
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Remove the leaves and thick core from the cauliflower, coarsely chop and reserve.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the cauliflower and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the cauliflower is very soft and falling apart, about 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and, using a hand-held immersion blender, puree the soup, or puree in small batches in a blender and return to the pot.
Add the Parmesan and stir until smooth.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.
*I skipped the Parmesan because I was loathe to disturb the utter creaminess of the soup. Instead, I added the pimentón and lemon.
Gabriela Lambert is a frequent contributor to Simple, Good and Tasty. You can also read more of her writing on her blog www.peevishmama.com. Her last post for SGT was: Soupapalooza, Minestrone.
