My Favorite Soup
Since I posted one my fav soup for a VF Cookbook contest. I decided to post on my LJ page the dishes I love to eat the most. So my second soup to eat is Creamy Cauliflower Soup with pesto.
Brazil Nut Pesto
1/2 cup toasted Brazil nuts
2 handfuls spinach leaves (or asian greens are the best) , stemmed
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
A generous pinch of fine-grain sea salt
To make presto, puree all the ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed to make the rest of the flavors come forward.
Creamy Cauliflower Soup
3 tablespoons clarified butter or extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 large potato, peeled and chopped
1-1/2 pounds cauliflower, coarsely chopped
5 cups vegetable stock or water
1/3 cup heavy cream or Cashew Cream
Fine-grain sea salt
Heat butter in a soup pot over medium-high heat, add the garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes and saute for 2 or 3 minutes, until translucent. Stir in the potato and cauliflower and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the stock, bring to a simmer, and cook until the vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat and puree thoroughly with a handheld immersion blender. (If you must use a conventional blender, be careful; the hot liquid can burst out the top and make a huge, potentially painful mess. Try leaving the lid slightly ajar to allow steam to escape. Cover the top with a kitchen towel and blend in batches on low speed.) For a silkier texture, push the soup through a sieve or strainer. Stir in the cream and season with salt to taste.
Ladle into individual bowls and finish with a big swirl of the pesto.
Serves 4 to 6.
Brazil Nut Pesto
1/2 cup toasted Brazil nuts
2 handfuls spinach leaves (or asian greens are the best) , stemmed
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
A generous pinch of fine-grain sea salt
To make presto, puree all the ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed to make the rest of the flavors come forward.
Creamy Cauliflower Soup
3 tablespoons clarified butter or extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 large potato, peeled and chopped
1-1/2 pounds cauliflower, coarsely chopped
5 cups vegetable stock or water
1/3 cup heavy cream or Cashew Cream
Fine-grain sea salt
Heat butter in a soup pot over medium-high heat, add the garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes and saute for 2 or 3 minutes, until translucent. Stir in the potato and cauliflower and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the stock, bring to a simmer, and cook until the vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat and puree thoroughly with a handheld immersion blender. (If you must use a conventional blender, be careful; the hot liquid can burst out the top and make a huge, potentially painful mess. Try leaving the lid slightly ajar to allow steam to escape. Cover the top with a kitchen towel and blend in batches on low speed.) For a silkier texture, push the soup through a sieve or strainer. Stir in the cream and season with salt to taste.
Ladle into individual bowls and finish with a big swirl of the pesto.
Serves 4 to 6.