Good golly it’s cauli
October 23, 2010
I have shared my love of cauliflower with you not so long ago, but last week I discovered a new way to express my undying adoration, in the form of cauliflower soup.
After the pickled pear sensation that came via Skye Gyngell’s book to accompany her cauli soup, I decided to follow her lead. Ms G, as is her wont, does a funky glam makeover of a basic cauliflower soup, adding gorgonzola and creme fraiche and the relish. Looks amazing and I’m sure tastes incredible. But as I am an old hag of simple tastes, I did it without the bling – and the cauli did its magical flavour trick once again.
From almost no ingredients at all came the most deliciously creamy, nutty, rich and silky soup. I am totally hooked. I added a tiny bit of leftover seeni sambol (as mentioned here), but the pickled pear relish would work perfectly of course, or just nothing at all. (And for those of us who might be trying to stave off the inevitable end-of-year gluttony bulge this soup must be a total winner because it’s so rich and satisfying, but as I find all calorie talk about as interesting as conversation about real estate or mobile phone plans, let’s never speak of it again.)
Anyway. Here tis. Tell me if you make it and if it’s as good as I think, or whether I have gone cauli crazy.
Cauliflower soup
- 1 tablespoon butter
- olive oil
- 2 small onions, diced
- 1 medium head of cauliflower broken into small florets
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1litre chicken or vegetable stock
- Salt & pepper
- Heat the butter with a good glug of olive oil. When the butter starts to foam, add the onions and sauté over low heat for a few minutes until soft.
- Turn up the heat, add cauliflower and sauté for about10 to 15 minutes, turning regularly so it has a chance to turn golden all over.
- Add the stock and herbs, then turn down the heat and simmer cauliflower until very soft.
- When cauliflower is falling apart, puree the soup with a stick blender or in batches in a food processor till thick and creamy.
- Season with sea salt & pepper.
How to shuck an oyster 
Sounds gorgeous, I do love cauliflower soup. But the best one I have had, and have reproduced satisfactorily at home, has lots of parmesan stirred into it at the end of cooking, and then topped with a parmesan crisp, which you make by putting little heaps of grated parmesan on a baking tray (lined with baking paper) in a hit oven until they have melted, and then allow to cool. I had this in a case in Queanbeyan and have made it several times since!
I make the Gordon Ramsay one and we usually drizzle a little truffle oil over the top which adds an interesting earthy depth to the soup. And sometimes add a few seared scallops as well. Cauli really seems to have come back into fashion and I’m roasting a lot these days as well.
Yum, and what’s the cunning little garnish Charlotte?
Whoa Nelly, you gals are right up there with Ms G in the bling department! Parmesan crisps, no less. And truffle oil and scallops! Holy cannoli – sounds unbelievably good. Louise I am so with you about roasting. I have become quite obsessed with it.
Empress, the garnish is the neverending seeni sambol brought home from Kammadhenu a couple of weeks ago. I am shoving it in everything!
OK – I’ve made this twice, to make sure my taste-buds weren’t fooling me the first time. They weren’t – it’s fantastic. Now, I’ve made cauli soup before and wasn’t that much impressed, but I think the browning of the cauli in butter and oil is the trick that makes it sooo smooth and gorgeous – so much so that even Mr Fussy asks for more!
Oh fab Glenda! It is quite amazing isn’t it, what the browning does to the flavour. I am still surprised by it.