I have been reading Peas and Crayons for years and I have tried so many of her recipes. This one was easily one of my top 5 favorite recipes from her site. Other attempts at cauliflower soup have left me with a bland, unimaginative, boring soup that I end up dumping out – but this one is phenomenal!
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 1 white/yellow onion, chopped to yield 1 cup
- 1 large russet potato peeled and diced
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1.5-2 cups of vegetable stock
- 1.5 cups of evaporated milk (heavy cream or half+half will work – I used half+half because I think it tastes better)
- 1/4-1/2 cup of asparagus pesto [Recipe below]
- 1 TBSP your favorite healthy oil [olive, coconut, etc...]
- 1/2 TBSP of dried parsley
- 1/4-1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cranks of freshly ground black pepper
- A few ounces of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Garnish with dried parsley and red pepper flakes
Ingredients for asparagus pesto
- Approximately 18 spears of asparagus
- 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 fresh cloves of garlic, smashed
- 1/4-1/2 tsp of salt
- 1/4 tsp dried basil
- a sprinkle of red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
1. Clean, trim, and separate your cauliflower into large florets. Blanch diced potato and cauliflower chunks for approx 15-20 minutes in shallow, boiling water. Once the cauliflower is tender, remove from heat and strain in a colander. Halt the cooking process by rinsing with ice cold water or plunging florets in a bowl of ice water.
2. While your veggies are boiling, make your pesto. Lightly blanch the asparagus and chill with icy cold water. Add asparagus along with olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, parm, salt, pepper, basil, and a pinch of red pepper flakes to blender or food processor and pulse gently. Scrape the runaway bits off the side and pulse again until incorporated. Set aside.
3. Saute onions with a tablespoon of oil, adding the garlic towards the end to prevent burning. Add the cauliflower, potato, onion, and garlic to your blender or food processor and puree.
4. Transfer pureed cauliflower mixture to a large pot and add a cup and a half of vegetable stock. Heat to medium-high, stirring frequently and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Once heated, reduce to low and add your evaporated milk or half+half and stir.
5. Season with salt, pepper, a half-tablespoon of parsley and and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to taste. Once hot, remove from burner.
6. Top with a heaping spoonful or two of asparagus pesto and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Garnish with red pepper flakes, parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. When it’s time to dig in, swirl your toppings into the soup to combine.
