Monday, March 5, 2012

Roasted Cauliflower Soup



This fiddlehead pattern flatware is total vintage Pottery Barn.
It was a requested gift from my parents, oh so many years ago, when I first had 
a few rooms of my own.

Setting the table last night for a guest,  I was stunned with the 
realization of how far I've come and how very close I am to where I started.
Funny.

Anyway, the soup....

The hardest part of making this soup is
not eating all the cauliflower from the tray
after you have roasted it.

No cream, no potatoes, just thick and naturally 
creamy rustic goodness in about 30 minutes


Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower
 olive oil
1 small to medium onion, depending on how big your cauliflower is, chopped
2 - 3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 -4 cups Chicken or vegetable stock
1+ teaspoons dried dill or 1/4 cup fresh, chopped
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Good olive oil for drizzling 


Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Cut cauliflower in quarters, remove core and break into florets


place cauliflower on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil,
sprinkle lightly with sea salt and spread into a single layer


Roast until golden brown and crisp tender, about 20 minutes.
I toss the florets and turn the tray after the first 10 minutes in the oven.

This is how I usually serve cauliflower as a side, snack or appetizer.
At the cafe I would serve a pile of it with a dipping sauce, like a pesto or curried mayo
Really, taste it, it's so GOOD.  But just one!

While the cauliflower is roasting, heat 1 T of olive oil in a sauté pan, add
onion and sauté until shiny and golden, add garlic and continue to cook
until garlic is softened, being careful with your heat that the garlic doesn't
get brown. 
Add your roasted cauliflower, 2-3 cups stock, you don't want to completely cover the cauliflower,
the dill and a bit of salt to taste.  Bring this to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for about
20 minutes to mingle the flavors. 

Puree the soup completely or puree half the solids and add them back in for
a chunkier version.  If soup is too thick, thin with more stock or water.

Taste for salt, add your black pepper - a pinch of red pepper flakes would be good here too - and adjust the dill if you want more.

Serve warm with a drizzle of a nice fruity olive oil

enjoy!
Kyra








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