Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Soupruary 25th: Silky Cauliflower

I don't even like cauliflower.


Location:
My apartment, Cincinnati, Ohio

Attendees:
Adam, me (complete with dark circles under my eyes; this soup is going to be the death of me!)


Menu:
Cauliflower Soup
Linguine with Sausage, Lemon & Parsley


Entertainment:
Coming up with names that start with M for a yet-to-be-named project (Mert? Mundungus? Mog?)

The Soup:
For some reason I was really excited about trying this soup, even though (as previously disclosed) I'm not cauliflower's biggest fan. I think I was overly excited. It was good, but nothing to write home about (apparently it is something to write Internet about though). I modified the recipe to use vegetable stock rather than chicken broth since I've been trying to keep my veg soups totally veg, but I think this may be one that would've benefited from the chicken broth. There was a vague sweetness to the soup, which, while it was not exactly unpleasant, I could've done without. Adam posited that the sweetness was due to the silk I added, but I think that was a joke. I also think a dash of nutmeg and cayenne would've been tasty. For all these reasons I think I might try it again. Maybe cauliflower will convert me yet.


Adapted from Dave Lieberman at foodnetwork.com

1 head cauliflower
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c vegetable stock
2 c water
1/2 c finely grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove the leaves and thick core from the cauliflower, coarsely chop, and reserve.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the cauliflower and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the cauliflower is very soft and falling apart, about 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and, using a hand held immersion blender, puree the soup, or puree in small batches in a blender and return it to the pot.
Add the Parmesan and stir until smooth.
Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.

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