Cauliflower Soup

CAULIFLOWER SOUP

As uninteresting as a cauliflower soup may sound, here is an easy cauliflower soup that may persuade you otherwise.

With just a hint roosted roasted garlic, a dash of golden turmeric, a flurry of dried marjoram leaves, and a splash of lemon juice is what turns everything around and delivers a delightfully soothing, fresh, and warming winter cauliflower soup. The flavors are subtle but just assertive enough to win over any cauliflower skeptics at your table.

Cauliflower Soup

• 1 medium size head garlic, roasted
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 head cauliflower, trimmed and divided into florets
• 1 large potato, peeled and diced
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
• ½ teaspoon ground white pepper + more to taste
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 2 quarts vegetable or chicken stock, simmering
• broad leaf parsley leaves, thinly sliced, or whole cilantro leaves
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice per serving

Place the whole head of garlic in a 325 degree oven and roast just until the flesh is softened and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. When cool enough to handle separate the cloves and squeeze the garlic out of their skins and set aside.

Place a stock pot on the stove top set over medium high heat. When hot add the olive oil. When the oil is hot add the onions and sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the roasted garlic, and stir to combine. Add the cauliflower and potatoes and sauté for several minutes while tossing all the ingredients together. Add the turmeric, salt, white pepper, marjoram, and sugar and toss while sautéing for another 5 minutes.

Add about 1 ½ quarts of simmering stock to completely cover all the ingredients. Adjust the temperature and simmer for 30 minutes or until all the ingredients are very soft.

Using an immersion blender, blend the ingredients until the soup is thick and very smooth. Then add more stock until the soup is the consistency you prefer. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning to your liking.

When you are ready to serve the soup add the parsley or cilantro leaves and lemon juice and stir into the soup until combined
Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

If you plan to serve the soup later, omit the parsley or cilantro and the lemon juice and set aside to aside to cool. Then transfer the soup to containers and cool on a rack before covering with lids and either refrigerate or freeze.

Be sure to remember to add the parsley or cilantro leaves and lemon juice just before serving the soup nonce it has been brought back to a full simmer before serving.