Last night, after my husband came in from cleaning seven or eight inches of snow off of our driveway, in 12F temps (below zero, with the wind chill), I decided that some soup was in order, in addition to the steak and salad I already had planned.
I'd recently seen a recipe in an old Everyday Food magazine, the first issue, in fact, and I'd bought the one ingredient I didn't already have on hand. I pulled out the head of cauliflower, and started making some curried cauliflower soup.
By the way, today's post is a twofer. To make this soup, you need to roast the cauliflower florets. Now, I was not a big fan of cauliflower as a kid. When it's boiled or simmered, it - like many other veggies in its family group, such as cabbage and broccoli - is quite odiferous. I later discovered that I preferred it raw. Last night was a revelation: roasting brings out cauliflower's sweetness, and tames its bite. If I hadn't already promised my husband the soup, I think we would've just kept on snacking on the roasted cauliflower. It's that good.
You can quite easily make a vegetarian or vegan version of this soup. I'm including the substitutions to do so in italics.
Curried Cauliflower Soup
Adapted from Everyday Food, Jan/Feb 2003
Note: Cauliflower florets should be fairly small. Leave smaller ones whole, and quarter or halve the larger ones.
1 head cauliflower (about 2 1/4 pounds), cut into florets, about six cups
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
salt
1 tablespoon butter (or one tablespoon vegetable oil)
2 large onions, cut into 1/2" to 3/4" slices
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
4 cups water
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
Freshly ground black pepper
optional garnish: 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1. Preheat oven to 450F. On a baking sheet, toss cauliflower with the vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Spread out over baking sheet and roast until the florets start to brown, about 25 minutes.
2. In a medium saucepan (about 3 quarts), melt the butter over medium-high heat (or warm the vegetable oil). Add the sliced onions, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the curry powder, roasted cauliflower, water, and broth. Cover, and bring to a boil. Uncover; lower the heat, and simmer five minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer 3 cups of cauliflower to a bowl, and set aside. With a slotted spoon, transfer the remaining florets into a blender or food processor, add 1 teaspoon salt, and process until smooth. Stir the puree into the broth in the pan, and reheat if necessary. Ladle the soup into bowls, and top with the reserved florets. If desired, season with a bit of freshly ground black pepper, and garnish with parsley.
I'd recently seen a recipe in an old Everyday Food magazine, the first issue, in fact, and I'd bought the one ingredient I didn't already have on hand. I pulled out the head of cauliflower, and started making some curried cauliflower soup.
By the way, today's post is a twofer. To make this soup, you need to roast the cauliflower florets. Now, I was not a big fan of cauliflower as a kid. When it's boiled or simmered, it - like many other veggies in its family group, such as cabbage and broccoli - is quite odiferous. I later discovered that I preferred it raw. Last night was a revelation: roasting brings out cauliflower's sweetness, and tames its bite. If I hadn't already promised my husband the soup, I think we would've just kept on snacking on the roasted cauliflower. It's that good.
You can quite easily make a vegetarian or vegan version of this soup. I'm including the substitutions to do so in italics.
Curried Cauliflower Soup
Adapted from Everyday Food, Jan/Feb 2003
Note: Cauliflower florets should be fairly small. Leave smaller ones whole, and quarter or halve the larger ones.
1 head cauliflower (about 2 1/4 pounds), cut into florets, about six cups
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
salt
1 tablespoon butter (or one tablespoon vegetable oil)
2 large onions, cut into 1/2" to 3/4" slices
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
4 cups water
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
Freshly ground black pepper
optional garnish: 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1. Preheat oven to 450F. On a baking sheet, toss cauliflower with the vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Spread out over baking sheet and roast until the florets start to brown, about 25 minutes.
2. In a medium saucepan (about 3 quarts), melt the butter over medium-high heat (or warm the vegetable oil). Add the sliced onions, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the curry powder, roasted cauliflower, water, and broth. Cover, and bring to a boil. Uncover; lower the heat, and simmer five minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer 3 cups of cauliflower to a bowl, and set aside. With a slotted spoon, transfer the remaining florets into a blender or food processor, add 1 teaspoon salt, and process until smooth. Stir the puree into the broth in the pan, and reheat if necessary. Ladle the soup into bowls, and top with the reserved florets. If desired, season with a bit of freshly ground black pepper, and garnish with parsley.
1 spoons thrown:
Yum.
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