Cauliflower softened with onion, garlic and cumin, simmered in broth, loosened with milk and butter and then blended smooth. Twenty-five minutes, four servings.
Blending hot liquid safely
This is the one step in the recipe that can actually hurt you. Hot soup in a sealed blender jug turns to steam, the steam has nowhere to go, and the pressure lifts the lid off with the contents behind it.
Fill the jug no more than halfway. Hold the lid down with a folded tea towel rather than your bare hand. Start on the lowest speed and build up.
A stick blender used straight in the pot sidesteps all of it and is what most kitchens reach for.
Everything has to be soft first
Twelve minutes covered over medium heat, and the cauliflower should collapse under a knife with no resistance at all.
This matters more in a blended soup than in any other kind, because a piece that is still firm going in is still a piece coming out. Blending is not cooking; it only breaks up what is already soft.
Cut the florets small and evenly for the same reason. A stray large one in the middle of the pot will lag behind the rest.
Adjusting the thickness at the end
Six hundred and fifty grams of cauliflower in two cups of broth plus three quarters of a cup of milk gives a thick soup. The ninth step allows for more broth at the end and that is the right place to make the decision.
Loosening is easy. Thickening a soup that went too thin means simmering it down, which takes time and concentrates the salt.
It also thickens noticeably as it cools and again overnight, so aim slightly looser than you want it.
A note on the ingredient list
Until this rewrite the last line of the ingredient list read Grated Par. The word Parmesan had been cut off partway through and it was appearing that way on the recipe card and in the structured data.
The oil was missing too. The second step asks for a tablespoon of it and it appeared nowhere in the shopping list.
More cauliflower
- Cauliflower fritters — pan-fried, not battered.
- Cauliflower gratin — with a garlic béchamel.
- Cauliflower rice — grated instead of blended.
- Creamy pumpkin soup — the same method, different vegetable.
Cauliflower Cream Soup FAQ
With care. Steam expands inside a sealed jug and can force the lid off. Fill it no more than halfway, hold the lid down with a folded cloth and start on the lowest speed. A stick blender used in the pot avoids the problem entirely.
Because a piece of cauliflower was not soft enough. Twelve minutes covered should do it, but a large floret in the middle of the pot can survive that. Test one with a knife before the blender comes out.
Add more broth, which is what the ninth step says. It is far easier to loosen a thick soup than to thicken a thin one, so hold some broth back if you are unsure. It also thickens as it cools.
Yes, and the recipe's own note says so. It will be milder. The cumin, garlic and onion carry more of the flavour than people expect.
It is a Colombian habit rather than a French one, and a pinch is enough. It gives the soup a warm, slightly earthy note that plays against the sweetness of cooked cauliflower.
Yes, better than most blended soups, though it thickens overnight. Loosen it with a splash of broth or milk in the pan.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 650 g cauliflower (cut into florets)
- ½ onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (or water)
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- A pinch of cumin
- Pepper (to taste)
- Oil (a tablespoon, for the pan)
- Parsley or cilantro (to decorate)
- Grated parmesan (to finish)
Notas
Instructions
- Dice the onion and finely chop the garlic.
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a saucepan and cook the onion, stirring, until it turns translucent.
- Add the garlic and stir.
- Add the cauliflower cut into florets, with the salt, the pepper and the cumin.
- Pour in the 2 cups of broth and bring it to a boil.
- Once it boils, lower the heat to medium, cover the pot and let it cook for 12 minutes, stirring now and then.
- Add the milk and the butter, stir, then taste and adjust the salt.
- Bring it back to a boil and cook for five minutes more.
- Now blend it. Take the mixture to the blender and blend until it is completely smooth. If it is thicker than you want, add a little more broth until it loosens.
- Serve hot, scattered with cilantro or parsley and grated parmesan.
Comments
No Comments