Recipe: Creamy Cauliflower Soup
The temperature has dropped outside but the heat’s on high in the AMI Kitchen with this Creamy Cauliflower Soup! I KNOW! INSANE! Have you tried Cauliflower Soup? What’s your favourite winter warm up dish?
CREAMY CAULIFLOWER SOUP
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 25 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes
SERVES: 6-8
AUTHOR:Mary Mammoliti | Kitchen Confession :
Photo Description: bowl of creamy cauliflower soup set on top of a white kitchen towel with a spoon to the left of the bowl. Soup is toped with sautéed cauliflower and roasted pine nuts
INGREDIENTS
1 head of cauliflower
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups leeks, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups vegetable stock
2 sprigs fresh thyme
3 cups 2% milk
3/4 cup freshly-grated Parmegiano
Reggiano cheese
Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black
pepper
Garnishes: sautéed cauliflower florets (**see recipe below), fresh thyme leaves, extra
Parmesan, chilli flakes, toasted pine nuts
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep your cauliflower. Remove and discard the outer leaves and trim off the stem. Using a sharp knife quarter the cauliflower. Begin by cutting it down the middle of the stem, and cut each half in half, separating it into four pieces.
Remove the core from the florets. Roughly chop the florets, and then thinly slice the core. Set aside. (to garnish the soup with some sautéed cauliflower, set aside 1 cup of florets.
Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped leeks and sauté for 5 - 7 minutes, until soft and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for an additional minute.
Into the pot, add the chopped cauliflower, vegetable stock, and thyme, stir to combine. Continue cooking to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and continue cooking for about 20-25 minutes, or until the cauliflower is fork tender.
Remove the thyme sprigs, and with your immersion blender blend until smooth.
Stir in the milk, cheese, and season with salt and pepper.
Pour into bowls, top with your desired garnish and enjoy!
**If you would like to garnish the soup with sautéed cauliflower, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower florets (they should be fairly small in size) and sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until the are tender and slightly golden on the outside. Season with salt and pepper.