Cauliflower Cream Soup

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. Start by making the broth. Wash all the vegetables thoroughly and peel them. Cut the carrot into thick rounds, divide the celery into 3-4 pieces, and slice the onion and garlic cloves in half.

   Heat a pot over medium heat, add the chopped vegetables to the bottom, and sauté them for 1-2 minutes. This quick roasting will give your broth a beautiful golden color.

   

2. Add water and spices to the pot, turn the heat up to high, and bring the water to a boil. Then reduce the heat (so the broth is gently simmering) and cook for 35-40 minutes.

   By the way, when do you usually add salt to your broth: before it boils, while it’s cooking, or at the end?

   

3. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 220 degrees Celsius, and break the head of cauliflower into small florets. To do this, make cuts along the stem with a knife, first dividing it into 4-5 large pieces, and then into smaller ones.

   I ended up with about 700 grams of florets. If you like, set aside one medium floret (about the size of a fist) for garnish.

   

4. Spread the cabbage in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with 1.5 tablespoons of vegetable oil, add a pinch of salt, and toss gently to combine.

   

5. Bake the cabbage in the oven for 20 minutes until it turns a light golden color.

   

6. Strain the finished broth through a sieve and set it aside (I ended up with a little over 1 liter).

   Now, prepare the rest of the ingredients for the soup. Finely chop the white onion, potatoes, and garlic. In an empty pot, add 1.5 tablespoons of vegetable oil and some butter, then heat them over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4–5 minutes, until it starts to turn translucent.

   

7. Next, add the garlic and potatoes, and sauté for a bit until you catch that wonderful garlic aroma. Then, pour in the broth, turn up the heat, and bring everything to a boil.

   

8. When the soup comes to a boil, add the roasted cauliflower, reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Then remove the pot from the heat and let it cool down.

   

9. Once the contents of the pot have cooled down a bit, transfer everything into a blender. Blend the vegetables on low speed (I use 2 out of 6) until smooth and creamy — about 1.5 minutes, but don’t overdo it! Add the cream, paprika, red pepper, and black pepper, then blend the soup again on low speed for another 30 seconds, just to mix everything together.

   

10. For garnish, take a medium cauliflower floret and slice it lengthwise into 5-6 pieces, each about 1 cm thick (be gentle, as they can fall apart easily). Grab a plate, pour a bit of vegetable oil onto it, and coat the cauliflower slices in the oil. Sprinkle them with salt, paprika, and black pepper on all sides.

    

11. Then heat a skillet over slightly above medium heat, add the cabbage slices, and sear them on both sides until they’re golden brown. Once the cabbage is nicely browned, reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and let it cook for another 5 minutes.

    

12. Pour the finished cauliflower soup into individual bowls and garnish: top each serving with a couple of crispy, pan-fried cauliflower florets, a drizzle of chili oil, and a sprinkle of finely chopped green onions. Serve with slices of bread toasted to a golden, crunchy perfection.

    Your delicious cauliflower cream soup is ready — enjoy your meal!