Cauliflower recipes get a bad rap, in my opinion. When absolutely fresh, as it is in the fall, it offers a wonderful crispness and mild taste that melds well with other flavors. This soup takes advantage of this classic autumn vegetable, and has one other terrific trait: it’s delicious either hot or cold. Of course in the fall or winter you’d probably serve it hot, but the cold version is a lot like vichyssoise except with fewer calories. Two other garnishes that offer a nice color contrast are chopped pistachios and red pepper purée; also delicious, especially on the hot version of this soup, is Parmesan Lace.
Ingredients
- 8 leeks, trimmed and finely chopped, white part only
- 2 medium onions, finely diced
- 1 cauliflower head, finely chopped (about 6 cups)
- 4 bay leaves
- 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2-2/3 cups nonfat milk, heated
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Garnish
- Freshly minced chives
Directions
- Combine the leeks, onions, cauliflower, bay leaves, and chicken broth in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook, covered, until the cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
- Add the hot milk, salt, and -pepper, and transfer the soup to a blender (careful, it’s hot) and purée until smooth, then return it to the pot. Or use an immersion blender and purée the soup right in the pot.
- Serve hot with a sprinkling of chives.
Discover more fall and winter soup recipes from Soup Night:
Pumpkin Chicken Chowder Recipe
Beef Stew Recipe
Butternut and Acorn Squash Soup Recipe
Corn Chowder Recipe With Edamame
This excerpt has been reprinted with permission from Soup Night: Recipes for Creating Community Around a Pot of Soup, by Maggie Stuckey and published by Storey Publishing, 2013.
