Cauliflower Soup

According to hubby this cauliflower soup was very delicious, unfortunately the cook didn't get to taste it as it went off before I got to it. So today I am making another batch for me to eat. I did the second soup recipe below but forgot to put the cheese in LOL so today I will not forget it.

The secret is the roasting of the ingredients.

I found 2 recipes online that looked good:

Silky Cauliflower Soup
From David Lieberman

Serves 4 to 6

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 it to the pot.

Add the Parmesan and stir until smooth.

Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2006/09/the-fragile-cooking-ego/

Roast Cauliflower soup

Serves 2

The inspiration for this soup was a combination of a roast cauliflower winter tabouli by Karen Martini in the Sunday Life part of the Sun Herald (who has  a new cookbook out…am dying to get it) and Jane & Jeremy Strode’s cauliflower soup from Two’s Cooking.

I like to use a mix of chicken stock and water so you still get to taste the cauliflower. For a vego option use vegetable stock or all water and skip the anchovy.

500g cauliflower, broken into large florets and stems sliced
2T olive oil
1 brown onion, diced
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 red chilli, finely diced
2 anchovy fillets, chopped
500mL chicken stock
500mL water
freshly grated parmesan cheese to serve
your very best extra virgin olive oil, to serve

Preheat oven to 200oC. Place cauliflower on an oven tray. Drizzle with 1T olive oil and season with s&p and roast for approx 25mins until golden on the edges.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan and cook onion covered over a low heat until onion is soft but not brown. Add garlic, chilli, and anchovy and cook for a couple of minutes.  Add stock and water and bring to a simmer. 

When cauliflower is ready add to the soup and simmer, covered for an additional 10 mins or until cauliflower is well cooked through. Puree with a stick blender or in batches in a food processor. Season with s&p and divide between two warmed soup bowl. Grate over a generous heap of cheese and drizzle sparingly with extra virgin oil.

http://thestonesoup.com/blog/2006/06/soothing-the-winter-blues/