Cauliflower Soup
Cauliflower’s flavor changes as it cooks, so by adding it in various stages during cooking, the full range of its unique flavor notes are captured.
Then by topping it off with a drizzle of browned butter and fried cauliflower, the ultimate Cauliflower Soup is created… Oh, did I mention there is NO dairy at all in this soup 🙂
Trim stem of cauliflower and core it out (keep), trim off about 1 cup of small florets, cut remaining head into ½” slices.
In heavy bottom pot, heat half of the butter and sauté leek and onions until softened. Transfer to a plate and set aside. In a small skillet heat remaining butter and cauliflower florets over medium-high heat. Stirring frequently until florets are lightly golden and butter has browned, about 7 minutes. Transfer florets to plate, and reserve browned butter for garnish.
Add 4 cups of water to pot, half of the sliced cauliflower and core, and bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer for 15 minutes. Add in the remaining cauliflower and simmer for an additional 20 minutes until everything is completely tender.
Pour everything into a blender (do in batches if necessary), and process until smooth (leave top hole for heat to vent). Return pureed soup to pot to heat, and season with salt and pepper. If too thick, thin with some water.
To serve, garnish each bowl with some browned florets and a drizzle of the browned butter.
Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower 2lbs
- 8 Tbsp butter divided
- 1 leek white and light green parts only
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 4-5 cups water
- 1 tsp sherry vinegar
- 3 Tbsp chives
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Trim stem of cauliflower and core it out (keep), trim off about 1 cup of small florets, cut remaining head into ½” slices.
- In heavy bottom pot, heat half of the butter and sauté leek and onions until softened. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add 4 cups of water to pot, half of the sliced cauliflower and core, and bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer for 15 minutes. Add in the remaining cauliflower and simmer for an additional 20 minutes until everything is completely tender. Pour everything into a blender (do in batches if necessary), and process until smooth (leave top hole for heat to vent).
- In a small skillet heat remaining butter and cauliflower florets over medium-high heat. Stirring frequently until florets are lightly golden and butter has browned, about 7 minutes. Transfer florets to plate, and reserve browned butter for garnish.
- Return pureed soup to pot to heat, and sherry and season with salt and pepper. If too thick, thin with some water.
- To serve, garnish each bowl with some browned florets, chives, and a drizzle of the browned butter.
Notes
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Keto-Friendly Recipe
Dairy free? What about the 7 Tlbs of butter?
An easy substitution of dairy free margarine replaces butter. Browning the margarine won’t create that nutty flavor thanks to the milk solids in the butter, but the soup will be just as delicious.
I suspect the nutty flavoring comes from the milk in the browned butter too. But the ghee can be used to get a buttery taste, instead of the nastiness of margarines..oddly, I was eating a bowl of cauliflower soup as I came across your article. Mine differed only in that used only onion,,no leeks which I do love, and used sliced of a Gluten Free smoked sausage, lightly browned, in olive oil and I would t swear that I didn’t use browned butter…just forgot as it was a substitute for corned beef and cabbage that I didn’t have on hand….. the last serving, even tho done on St. Patty’s day was still very good. I’d rate this recipe as 5 star too, it’s so close to the one I did.
Soup is really delicious but I’m not sure when I was supposed to add the sherry vinegar. I put it in at the end when I realized it wasn’t mentioned in the instructions. Had to add a lot of water to the blender as it was way too thick so will cover it during cooking the next time.
Sorry about that! Add the sherry after you’ve pureed the soup and rewarmed it (just before serving) – you don’t want to cook off the sherry, you want to keep its bright/tangy flavor as it adds a perfect balance to the soup.