Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Cauliflower and Walnut Cream Soup



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This soup is an example of a dish I never would have made in the days before you joined me at the table. I did not like cauliflower and the pictures I had seen of soups made from it look bland and unappealing. Had it not been for one I was served while traveling, that would probably still be the case. I liked that soup well enough to look for recipes that would allow me to duplicate it once I was home. I found one in a book called The Soup Bible. Their recipe used just five ingredients and was table ready in less than an hour. My readers, at the time, were looking for really easy recipes that could be prepared quickly. I thought this would be perfect for them if it passed the taste test. I set to work and prepared the soup, following specifications to a tee, save for the fact that I used brown chicken stock to make it. I had no clear broth in the house and decided to go with what I had, rather than make a market run. That proved to be a mistake, not from a taste perspective, but because of the color it gave the soup. It should be creamy white and mine was beige. Bob and I each had a bowl of it and despite the color, thought it was great. I decided to hold off on pictures until I had the morning light, so I poured the soup into a container, gave it a good stir and put it in the refrigerator for the night, never thinking that the paprika, that had been used as a garnish was now incorporated into the soup. The next morning, bright eyed and bushy tailed, I got ready to photograph my creation, only to find the beige soup of the previous evening was now verging towards brown on the light spectrum. I never posted the recipe, but I thought the sight of my brown cauliflower soup might bring a smile to your face, so here it is. The recipe is sound and I think you'll enjoy the soup, if you use a clear broth and remember not to stir paprika into it before it's served. Here's the recipe.

Cauliflower and Walnut Cream Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of The Soup Bible

Ingredients:
1 medium cauliflower
1 onion, chopped
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups milk
1/4 cup walnut pieces + chopped walnuts for garnish
Salt and pepper
Paprika for garnish

Directions:
1) Trim cauliflower and break into small florets. Place cauliflower, onions and both into a large saucepan.
2) Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer, covered, until cauliflower is soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add milk and 1/4 cup walnuts. Pour into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
3) Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Return soup to saucepan and reheat. Sprinkle with paprika and walnuts. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.









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You might also enjoy these recipes:
Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Parmesan - Snappy Gourmet
Lazy Cauliflower Soup - Food and Feminism
Roasted Cauliflower Soup - The English Kitchen
Cauliflower Soup with Creme Fraiche - The Harried Cook
Curried Cauliflower Soup - A Spoonful of Thyme

40 comments :

Ginny Hartzler said...

What a really unusual soup, but I love cauliflower!

retete- ina said...

yes,unusual soup but i think it,s very good,and definetly have to try this,have nice day

Lenia said...

I adore cauliflower and will definitely try this great soup!Have nice day,dear!

Priya Suresh said...

Wat a beautiful and comforting soup,yumm am loving it..

kitchen flavours said...

I love cauliflower, but have never tried in soups like this before, looks delicious!

Manu said...

What a beautiful soup...love the colour!!!
Have a nice day

Unknown said...

this kind of soup is very delicious ?im usually use cauliflower prepering a cream and using that on spaghetti

Anonymous said...

Another idea for my every day soup.Makes cauliflower lookinteresting:)

Flavia Galasso said...

I'm so glad that cauliflower season started.... have a lot of fun in Munchen, hugs, Flavia

Coleens Recipes said...

What a great idea for a soup!! Very unique.

Alessandra said...

This looks perfect for me, actually I really like cauliflower soups, one of the best way to eat that veggie for me :-). Should try with walnuts too next time, it would add lots of proteins!

Ciao
Alessandra

Tanna said...

I love cauliflower and so does Evan. This sounds very nice for the first snap of fall... hoping for that soon! Hope you are having a wonderful time! blessings ~ tanna

Eff said...

Really great mix. I love cauliflower soup :)

Kim said...

I love the addition of the walnuts in this soup. Cauliflower is one of my favorites in creamy soups like this one!

? said...

Looks delicious! We use the red chilli flakes for flavouring and spicing up soups! Do check out the VFAM event at my blog. Thanks!

SallyBR said...

Very nice take on cauliflower soup, a favorite of mine. Must make this when the temperature goes down just a tad more... (still in the 80's)

Sprigs of Rosemary said...

I'm a cauliflower fan but I've never seen a soup like this and I'm a big soup fan, too. Can't think of anything more comforting. And ever since I got an immersion blender, anything can be a lovely, creamy soup. Although I wouldn't have thought of it myself, walnuts seem like a nice "meaty" pairing for cauliflower.

From the Kitchen said...

I like the appearance of your "refrigerated overnight" version. We do like cauliflower but I rarely ever prepare it except raw in salads. It's certainly soup weather where I am.

Best,
Bonnie

teresa said...

This looks delicious, but what are your thoughts on using pine nuts instead of walnuts? I am allergic walnuts and pecans

Patricia @ ButterYum said...

I might have to give this recipe a try as we are big fans of cauliflower. Thank you for posting, despite not being pleased with the photo - I have so many recipes yet to be posted because I was not happy with the photos taken.

PeggyR said...

This sounds very different! Hope you are well.

tinyskillet said...

I think this sounds great, we have always like cauliflower in my household. Lucky that my daughter would request it. I would do the same thing with using the broth or stock that I had on hand. Funny how much we taste with our eyes!

Debbi Does Dinner Healthy said...

This sounds great! Not like anything I would have made before either but it looks really good!

Anonymous said...

The colour is not unappealing to me, it's earthy and warm and the dashes of paprika looks great on it. I'll be happy to taste this soup!

Gloria Baker said...

Love cauliflowers thi soup look delicious dear Mary!! gloria

Jeannie said...

I love broccoli soup and I don't know why I didn't think of making cauliflower soup since they are of the same family...sounds delicious!

Tasha said...

Regardless of color, it sounds just wonderful to me!

Biren @ Roti n Rice said...

I think it looks good as I don't mind it a little brown. The walnuts must give it a nice texture.

Rita said...

Grat minds... I alsoo have a cauliflower soup this week.
Rita

teresa said...

what a lovely soup, i love the flavor of cauliflower, this looks wonderful.

Swathi said...

I am in for this delicious creamy soup.

Pam said...

This is a unique soup recipe and one worth trying for sure. It sounds and looks delicious!

That Girl said...

I'm not a fan of cauliflower, but I'm trying. I have one in the fridge that I'm trying to figure our how to handle.

France@beyondthepeel said...

This is my kind of soup. Different, filling, and comforting.

FOODalogue said...

I have no problem with beige or brown soup...it was the title that drew me and the visual did not deter me. Love the idea of the walnuts!

Platanos, Mangoes and Me! said...

A really good soup and you presented it well.

Ryan said...

This sounds wonderful especially with walnut cream! I know we'd love this at our house!

GLENDA CHILDERS said...

I love your recipe AND your stories that go with them.

I am loving roasted cauliflower right now.

Fondly,
Glenda

Lifewithspices said...

wonderful color n too good..

Tender B. said...

Love me some cauliflower soup. Walnut cream would just be a little bonus.

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