Cream Of Cauliflower Soup Recipe 485

Steps:

• In a saucepan, saute onions in butter until tender. Stir in flour and salt until blended. Gradually add broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat. , Add cauliflower; simmer for 2 minutes. Add the milk and cheese; cook and stir until cheese is melted. Stir in sherry if desired. Garnish with chives.

Steps:

• In a soup kettle or Dutch oven, saute the onions, carrots, celery and garlic in 1/4 cup butter until tender. Add cauliflower, broth, parsley, salt and pepper, basil and tarragon. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 30 minutes. , Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt the remaining butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in the milk and whipping cream. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 2 minutes. Add to cauliflower mixture. Cook until thickened, stirring frequently, 10 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream. Garnish with tarragon if desired.

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes and carrots and cook 5 minutes more. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in cauliflower, cover, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Puree in batches in a blender or food processor, or in the pot using an immersion blender. Return to low heat and stir in milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg and sherry. Heat through. Serve garnished with parsley.

Steps:

• 1. Cut leeks in half lengthwise. Wash to remove dirt. Pat dry and thinly slice crosswise.
• 2. Heat the oil with the butter in a heavy pot over low heat. Wilt the leeks and celery with leaves until softened, 10 minutes; add garlic during the last 5 minutes.
• 3. Stir in the curry powder and ginger, and cook over very low heat to permeate the vegetables, 1 minute.
• 4. Add the broth, lemon juice, and cauliflower florets. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the cauliflower is very tender, 15 minutes. Cool slightly.
• 5. Purée in a food processor until very smooth, adding half-and-half through the feed tube. Add extra broth for desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Steps:

• 1. In a soup pot or Dutch oven, saute the sliced shallots in the olive oil until translucent.
• 2. Add the chicken broth and cauliflower and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft.
• 3. Using an immersion blender, blend the hot broth and cauliflower until somewhat smooth. (If you do not have an immersion blender, allow the soup to cool and then blend or mash.)
• 4. Add the milk and cheese and heat through, stirring fairly constantly, until the cheese melts. Do not continue to cook to avoid scorching.
• 5. Taste and adjust the seasoning with the salt and pepper. If you have used purchased chicken broth you may need no salt at this point. If you prefer, use white pepper to avoid dark spots in the soup.
• 6. Serve hot, topped with garnishes such as cilantro, bacon, and homemade croutons (recipe follows)
• 7. To make the croutons: Preheat the oven to 350F. While the broth and cauliflower cook, cut two or more slices of Italian bread into cubes. Put about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large bowl. Toss the bread cubes in the olive oil, moving quickly to distribute the oil among the cubes. Optionally, add a seasoning or dried herb mix and toss the cubes again. Distribute the cubes in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes. Turn off the oven, turn over the croutons for even cooking, and return to the still warm oven to continue toasting. The croutons will be warm and ready when the soup is ready.

Steps:

• Make the rosemary oil: In a medium skillet, combine the olive oil and rosemary sprigs. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, lowering the heat if the oil reaches a full simmer. (You want to cook it at a very gentle simmer to avoid frying the rosemary.) Carefully pour the oil and rosemary into a small bowl, leaving a slick of oil in the pan if you plan to make croutons. Allow the rosemary to cool completely in the oil while you make the soup.
• Make the soup: In a heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. (Be careful not to let the garlic scorch!)
• Add the stock, cauliflower, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil over high. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the cauliflower is tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the optional croutons: Heat the reserved skillet with the residual rosemary oil over medium. Add the bread cubes, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and cook, tossing often, until toasted all over, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the croutons to a plate or board to cool.
• Strain and discard the rosemary stems from the rosemary oil. Working in batches if necessary, carefully transfer the vegetables, stock and 1/4 cup rosemary oil to a blender and blend on high until creamy. Add more rosemary oil to taste, and blend to combine. Return the soup to the pot and bring to a simmer. If the soup seems thin, let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to reduce slightly. (Remember: The soup will continue to thicken as it cools.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Serve hot. Garnish each serving with a swirl of rosemary oil, a few croutons, and a sprinkle of lemon zest. The soup will thicken as it sits; add more stock as necessary when reheating. Leftover rosemary oil will keep in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 1 week.