{{ :recipes:cream_of_cauliflower_soup_clr-24.jpg?direct&200|}} ====== Cream of Cauliflower Soup ====== /* Description */ For a creamy cauliflower soup without cream, we relied on cauliflower’s low insoluble fiber content to produce a velvety smooth puree. To ensure that cauliflower flavor remained at the forefront, we cooked the cauliflower in seasoned water (instead of broth), skipped the spice rack entirely, and bolstered the soup with sautéed onion and leek. We added the cauliflower to the simmering water in two stages so that we got the grassy flavor of just-cooked cauliflower and the sweeter, nuttier flavor of long-cooked cauliflower. Finally, we fried florets in butter until both browned and used each as a separate, richly flavored garnish. {(rater>id=100|name=Cream of Cauliflower Soup|type=rate|headline=off)} |**Preheat:** °|**Yield:** 4-6 servings|| |**Prep:** 0:15|**Wait:** 0:00|**Cook:** 0:30| ====== Ingredients ====== * 1 head cauliflower (2 pounds) * 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces * 1 leek, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced thin, and washed thoroughly * 1 small onion, halved and sliced thin * Salt and pepper * 4 1/2 – 5 cups water * 1/2 teaspoon sherry vinegar * 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives ====== Directions ====== - Pull off outer leaves of cauliflower and trim stem. Using paring knife, cut around core to remove; thinly slice core and reserve. Cut heaping 1 cup of 1/2-inch florets from head of cauliflower; set aside. Cut remaining cauliflower crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices. - Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leek, onion, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; cook, stirring frequently, until leek and onion are softened but not browned, about 7 minutes. - Increase heat to medium-high; add 4 1/2 cups water, sliced core, and half of sliced cauliflower; and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add remaining sliced cauliflower, return to simmer, and continue to cook until cauliflower is tender and crumbles easily, 15 to 20 minutes longer. - While soup simmers, melt remaining 5 tablespoons butter in 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Add reserved florets and cook, stirring frequently, until florets are golden brown and butter is browned and imparts nutty aroma, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and use slotted spoon to transfer florets to small bowl. Toss florets with vinegar and season with salt to taste. Pour browned butter in skillet into small bowl and reserve for garnishing. - Process soup in blender until smooth, about 45 seconds. Rinse out pan. Return pureed soup to pan and return to simmer over medium heat, adjusting consistency with remaining water as needed (soup should have thick, velvety texture but should be thin enough to settle with flat surface after being stirred) and seasoning with salt to taste. Serve, garnishing individual bowls with browned florets, drizzle of browned butter, and chives and seasoning with pepper to taste. ====== Notes ====== White wine vinegar may be substituted for the sherry vinegar. Be sure to thoroughly trim the cauliflower’s core of green leaves and leaf stems, which can be fibrous and contribute to a grainy texture in the soup. /* Nutrition block - remove the slash-asterisk and asterisk-slash from just above and below the following block */ /* ====== Nutrition ====== |Calories (kcal): ||Fat Calories (kcal): |Cholesterol (mg): | |Fat (g): |Saturated Fat (g): |Mono Fat (g): |Poly Fat (g): | |Protein (g): |Carbohydrates (g): |Sodium (mg): |Fiber (g): | */ {{tag>Recipes Soup AmericasTestKitchen }} /* Recipe Tags - Copy and paste tags from the list below to the tag list in the above line, replacing the "TagsNeeded" tag and separated by spaces. */ /* ---Recipe Types--- Appetizer Beverage Beverage/Cocktail Bread Bread/Muffin Bread/Quickbread Brines-Marinades-Rubs Breakfast Casserole Canning-Freezing Condiment CrockPot Dessert/Bar-Brownie Dessert/Cake Dessert/Cake/Frosting Dessert/Crisp-Buckle Dessert/Cookie Dessert/Custard-Curd Dessert/IceCream Dessert/IceCream/Topping Dessert/Pie Dip-Spread Entertaining Grilling-BBQ Holiday Kid-Friendly MainDish MainDish/Beef MainDish/Poultry MainDish/Pork MainDish/Seafood Pasta Pizza Roast Salad Salad/Dressing Sandwich Seasoning Side Snack Soup Vegetarian AmericasTestKitchen Stew-Braise Vegetarian AmericasTestKitchen ---Recipe Cuisines--- American American/Cajun-Creole American/Southern American/TexMex Asian Asian/Chinese Asian/Indian Asian/Japanese Asian/Korean Asian/Thai Asian/Vietnamese European European/Belgian European/Czech European/Dutch European/English European/French European/German European/Greek European/Polish European/Irish European/Italian European/Portuguese European/Russian European/Scandinavian European/Spanish European/Swiss Latin Latin/Brazilian Latin/Mexican MiddleEastern MiddleEastern/Ethiopian MiddleEastern/Jewish MiddleEastern/Lebanese ---Recipe Sources--- 365Recipes 365Recipes/Grilling 365Recipes/Chicken 365Recipes/Pasta AmericasTestKitchen AmericasTestKitchen/CooksCountry AmericasTestKitchen/CooksIllustrated BetterHomesGarden Bon Appetit Chowhound FineCooking FoodWine GoodEats Gourmet HDawson AMarcos DMarcos JMarcos KMarcos JPhalen ---Recipe Ratings--- 5★ 4★ 3★ 2★ 1★ No★ ---Recipe Alerts--- RecipeNeeded RecipeIncomplete RecipeWrong RecipeFails TagsNeeded */ ~~DISCUSSION~~