Cauliflower Soup

Cauliflower is one of those vegetables I enjoy eating, but never think to buy for myself. For some reason, my eyes always move right past them and towards broccoli when I’m meandering in the produce aisle. Embarrassingly, this was the first time I’d ever prepared cauliflower (though I did have some fun hacking away at the core and leaves with my giant kitchen knife).

I ended up trying this recipe because I knew I wasn’t going to want to eat chickpea soup every day of the week for lunch and wanted another option. Given that I had every ingredient save for cauliflower already in my kitchen made this a very attractive option.  

Silky Cauliflower Soup

Adapted from SmittenKitchen 

I added the smoked paprika to SK’s recipe because I’d recently had a cauliflower tapa that included roasted cauliflower, dates, olives, and smoked paprika and it was amazing. I really like the addition to the soup, but feel free to take it out if you aren’t a fan. Similarly, take out the parmesan for a vegan or dairy-free meal.

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Equipment:

Large pot, blender/immersion blender

Remove the leaves and core from the cauliflower and coarsely chop into flourets. Set aside.

In a large pot, heat olive oil and add onion and garlic. Cook until softened, but not brown, about five minutes.

Add the cauliflower, stock, and smoked paprika and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until cauliflower is very soft and almost falling apart, about 15 minutes.

If you have an immersion blender, blend in pot until smooth. If you have a blender, remove soup from heat and blend in batches until smooth and return to pot. Add the parmesan and stir until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.