CAULIFLOWER SOUP
This is a great spring soup: It’s pretty quick to make and super flavorful while still being neutral enough that you can add any variations you want. My friend Kristan once made a similar soup that had potatoes in it, which you can do if you aren’t avoiding white potatoes—but the cauliflower is just lovely on its own. Here it is roasted with leeks, garlic, and onion to really bring out the flavors, and then it goes into a pot with chicken broth before being blended. SERVES 4 TO 6
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 40 minutes
4 large leeks, washed and thinly sliced (white and very light green parts only)
2 or 3 heads cauliflower, chopped into florets
4 or 5 garlic cloves, peeled
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chicken broth, divided
2 or 3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 or 2 tablespoons sliced scallions, for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Season the leeks, cauliflower, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Divide the vegetables between 2 baking sheets, and roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until slightly browned, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking time.
- Remove from the oven, allow the vegetables to cool slightly, and then transfer them to a blender. Add 1½ cups of broth, and blend until smooth. Add the remaining 1½ cups of broth in increments and blend until your desired consistency is reached. If you have an immersion blender, you can put everything right into a large saucepan and blend on the stove.
- Transfer the soup to a large saucepan, stir in the thyme, and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Add more chicken broth if the soup gets too thick.
- Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary, remove the thyme sprigs, and serve hot topped with the scallions.
VARIATION 1 BROCCOLI-CAULIFLOWER SOUP: Swap out the leeks for super healthy broccoli (about 2 cups broccoli and 2 cups cauliflower). Cook according to the recipe, and top with a couple tablespoons of cooked crumbled bacon.
VARIATION 2 COCONUT CREAM–CAULIFLOWER SOUP: To make this soup even creamier, add coconut cream to the pot and stir. To do this, refrigerate a can of coconut cream, and scoop out the solid part that rises to the top. (Discard the water that sits at the bottom or throw it into a smoothie.)
