Making Mealtime Meaningful: Discover how we're giving back with the 12T Cares program →

We wanted to share a great recipe with our vegetarian friends. After a bit of searching, we found a soup that seems to fit the bill perfectly. It’s smooth and creamy while avoiding any cream: a delicious cauliflower soup.

Cauliflower, of course, has a very distinctive flavor to it. When just undercooked, it tastes slightly grassy, while the more cooked version of this vegetable is sweeter, even perhaps a bit nutty. To get both of these great flavors in the soup, we cooked some of the cauliflower in seasoned water, then added more cauliflower later. Keep reading below for this delicious recipe…

Califlower Soup

(makes 6 servings)

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower (about 2lbs)
  • 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
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 5 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Directions

  1. Pull off the outer leaves of the cauliflower and trim the stem. Use a paring knife to cut around the core to remove. Slice the core thinly and reserve. Cut 1 heaping cup of 1/2″ florets from the head of the cauliflower and set aside. Cut the remaining cauliflower crosswise into 1/2″ thick slices.
  2. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the leek, onion, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, stirring frequently until the leek and onion are softened (about 7 minutes). Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds to a minute, or until garlic is fragrant.
  3. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the water, bay leaf, thyme, sliced core from the cauliflower, and half of the sliced cauliflower. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add the remaining sliced cauliflower, return to a simmer, and continue to cook until the cauliflower is tender (another 15 to 20 minutes).
  4. While the soup simmers, melt the remaining 5 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the reserved florets and cook, stirring frequently, until the florets are a nice golden brown (about 6 to 8 minutes). Remove the skillet from the heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer the florets to a small bowl. Toss the florets with the sherry vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the butter from the skillet into a small bowl and reserve.
  5. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Process the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth (about 45 seconds). Rinse out the pan. Return the pureed soup to the pan and return to a simmer over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, garnishing with browned florets, and drizzle with browned butter and chives.
  6. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted fromAmateur Gourmet