Martha Stewart Living (January 2012)
We're on a bit of a cauliflower kick right now.
Last week we made that yummy Radicchio and Cauliflower Salad with Toasted Breadcrumbs, and now here we are with this cauliflower soup.
Cauliflower abounds in the January issues of food magazines. In fact, two magazines -- Everyday Food and Bon Appétit -- are currently featuring recipes for cauliflower steaks. (Do two make a trend?)
There are plenty of reasons why the food mags turn to cauliflower in January. It's seasonal, affordable, healthful and hearty. And, oh yeah, it's extremely versatile and it tastes great.
Nothing showcases all those accolades more than this Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Greens.
We love a simple soup, and it doesn't get much simpler than this. Two ingredients -- cauliflower and kale -- make up the majority of this dish. A little dill, some aromatics and salt and pepper are tossed in for flavor.
And the prep couldn't be much simpler either: Sauté the aromatics. Boil everything. Blend it. Eat it.
We're fans.
The result is a richly satisfying soup that's hearty and surprisingly creamy. Seriously, you won't believe there's not a drop of cream in this, making it an excellent vegan option.
The mild, nutty cauliflower melts into the fresh "greenness" of the kale. (The recipe calls for using either kale or collards -- we went with kale, but we don't think the flavor would change substantially if you use collards.) The swirl of olive oil adds a savory finish -- and makes for an elegant final touch. We had trouble picking out the taste of the dill in the soup itself, which was fine with Clay, who's iffy on dill anyhow. But as a garnish, the dill is lovely.
We made a double batch of this soup last week. We ate it for dinner a couple times, packed it for lunch a few other days and still had plenty to freeze for later.
You're definitely going to want to add this soup to your winter repertoire.
Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Greens
Martha Stewart Living (January 2012)
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Active Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Makes 8 cups
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Sea salt
1 medium head cauliflower (about 3 pounds), florets and stems cut into 1-inch pieces (8 to 9 cups)
4 1/2 cups filtered water
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
5 large kale or collard leaves, or a combination, tough ends removed and leaves roughly chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook onion, covered, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and a pinch of salt, and cook for 3 minutes more. Add cauliflower and pour in filtered water until it reaches just below the top of the cauliflower.
Bring to a boil over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons dill. Reduce heat to low, and simmer until cauliflower is just tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in greens, and simmer for 3 minutes.
Let sit for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons dill. Puree soup in batches in a blender until very smooth, adding more water (about 1/2 cup) if it's too thick. Return to pot and reheat. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with dill, black pepper, a drizzle of oil and a pink of sea salt.
