Creamy Cauliflower Soup

I have been searching for a creamy cauliflower soup ever since I had a delicious, enlightening soup at the California Academy of Sciences. Yes. At a museum type place I had an existential experience with soup. Twice. And I would go again not only for the indoor rain forest or albino reptile but for the cauliflower soup. I broke down this week and instead of racing to San Francisco to get some, I decided to make my own.

The only problem, I couldn't find a recipe that looked good.



So, I winged it. I skimmed through a few recipes, noticed that they sauteed some garlic/onions/cauliflower then cooked the cauliflower in some liquid for a bit before pureeing it. This is one thing I love about cooking, the patterns. Once you figure them out, the world is your oyster. Or, I hope it is because that's what I keep telling myself. Find. The. Patterns.

I knew I wanted to add heavy cream/whole milk because I had some on hand and had to use it before it went bad and my guilt at wasting food and money kicked in. I also knew that thyme would go well and that I wanted to use some lovely shallots. I was hoping to make it using things I had at home, and I think I succeeded!



It is the easiest soup ever, in my honest opinion, and it is so delicious. I'm fantasizing about the leftovers in the freezer, and planning my next big ol' batch. I will thank myself in about two months when I'm exhausted from a day of teaching and I just want something relatively healthy and filling for dinner. :) You are welcome, future me.

(I recognize that this is not the best picture, I'm working on cooking and documenting the experience, but can you see the texture? Does it just look like heaven? Because it is. It really is.)


Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter
2 shallots, diced
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets (or 1-inch pieces really)
4 cups vegetable broth
3 sprigs of thyme
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup milk
salt
pepper

Start by melting the butter in a large pot over medium heat. When the butter is melted add the shallots and cook until translucent, about 4-6 minutes. Toss in the chopped cauliflower, and don’t worry about how the florets look- you are going to blend the heck out of them! Toss with the shallots and cook for a few minutes, just to bring some of the flavors together.

Pour the broth into the pot and toss the thyme on top. Bring the whole shebang to a boil. When it is boiling and bubbling, cover it and turn it down to simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.

When the cauliflower is tender, turn off the heat, grab the thyme sprigs and throw them out, and blend the soup mixture. I used my immersion blender and it whipped the soup up fast but this could also be done in batches with a regular blender, just be sure to let the heat escape. Then (put it back in the pot if you used a regular blender), mix in the milk and heavy cream and bring the heat back on for a bit and add salt and pepper to taste. Let it warm up on the stove for a few minutes to help the flavors get along and to be sure you have the consistency and taste you desire. Viola! Creamy, satisfying soup.

Enjoy!
-m