This is a rich, decadent soup—just puréed roasted cauliflower and cream, with leeks and turmeric as background notes. A ladle or two, with the Parmesan crisps and white truffle oil, is a meal in and of itself.
Makes 4 soup course-sized servings.
Ingredients:
2 medium or 3-4 small heads cauliflower, cut into medium-sized florets
2 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks, white part only, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon freshly-grated nutmeg
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
ground cayenne pepper, to garnish
4 tablespoons chopped scallion, to garnish
8 Parmesan Crisps (recipe), to garnish
4 teaspoons white truffle oil, to garnish
sea salt, to taste
freshly-ground white pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 425°F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cauliflower florets and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss to coat. Season with salt and white pepper. Arrange in a single layer across a half baking sheet. Roast until golden and soft, 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven.
Heat a heavy stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil. Once hot, add the leeks. Saute, stirring often, until soft and just starting to change color, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
Add the cauliflower, turmeric, and nutmeg. Stir. Add the chicken stock. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until all of the ingredients are soft and integrated, about 4 minutes.
Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, carefully purée until silky and smooth.
Simmering with the cream
Add the heavy cream. Return to heat and bring to a simmer. Cook 2 minutes, until heated through and integrated.
Plated, garnished, and ready to serve
Ladle into warm soup bowls. Drizzle white truffle oil atop. Garnish each bowl with a teaspoon of cayenne pepper and a tablespoon of chopped scallions. Arrange two Parmesan Crisps upright in the middle of bowl. Serve immediately. Serve with a big Chardonnay from California's Napa Valley or Carneros regions.
Looks delicious... but isn't it leek, not leak?
ReplyDeleteYes, it is. Silly mistake, now fixed. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI just made this and while it was quite tasty, 2 cups of chicken stock were not nearly enough in my experience. With just the two cups, the soup had a consistency more of a mash than a soup. I added an additional two cups of water, which made it a little thinner than I would have liked after adding the cream; I subsequently reduced it some.
ReplyDeleteIf I were making this again, I would probably go with either 3 cups stock or 2 cups stock + 1 cup water.
Thank you for the comment, Joey.
ReplyDeleteAdding (or subtracting) a bit of stock is expected, depending on the exact amount of cauliflower and folks preferences--I like my traditional purees rather thick.
When evaluating the soup's consistency, be sure to do so after adding the cream--which, at a full cup of heavy cream, makes a big difference.
Parmesan crackers, interesting!
ReplyDeleteWe normally dress our cauliflower+leek cream with some slices of camembert, and/or roasted bell peppers. The camembert is really good; it melts and completely changes the flavor of the soup.
Hadn't thought about nutmeg; we put in some allspice instead.
Camembert sounds like a wonderful addition!
ReplyDeleteI like a small pinch of nutmeg anytime I utilize cream, particularly in creamy soups. It is a classic pairing. Allspice goes well, too.