I’m on a cauliflower kick. Not sure what’s prompting this, but at least it’s a food dense with nutritive value, unlike some of the other foods I favor, like dark chocolate Bounty bars or Pot de Creme.
I poached this recipe from The Paysanne Cook Book written by friends of ours in the village, Bob and Barbara, who own a French restaurant (called The Paysanne) in Wales from which they hail and is now run by their eldest son. This first book - the source of said soup recipe – is unfortunately out of print, at least for the time being.
Amongst the book’s recipes crafted by Barbara over the years, Bob weaves in stories about the restaurant, the pub they owned before the restaurant, the farm they ran before the pub, the stinky goat cheese that ruined a friend’s BMW resale prospects, why Welsh hill lambs are best left alone at least until July, and how to prepare a pheasant, including tips on plucking.
Bob and Barbara’s philosophy about food is simple: keep it unfussy and cockle-warming. That’s exactly what you get in this soup recipe, (plus, it involves my veg du jour: cauliflower). And, like many of the recipes in the book as a whole, there’s often a little twist that makes something basic very interesting, such as the almonds blended with the softened cauliflower and onions.
Although it’s a shame that the first book is out of print, Bob has recently finished a second. He’s managed to rope Tim (my significant other) into formatting the thing, which is a spectacular feat of mischief – formatting documents is not particularly Tim’s favorite thing. He’s been at his desk all morning, cussing away because MS Word 2007 is so different from the last version. Anyhoo…all interested parties can look forward to an APB à moi when Bob’s book #2 is released in 2009.
Cauliflower and Almond Soup (from The Paysanne Cook Book by Bob and Barbara Ross)
- 1 large cauliflower, discard the leaves and stem and chop into smaller florettes
- 1 medium onion, chopped into a medium dice
- 3 oz. butter (Don’t substitute the low fat stuff, please. It won’t do.)
- 2 oz. flaked almonds
- 3 cups of vegetable stock (can also use chicken broth if you prefer)
- 1 pint full fat milk (Confession: I often substitute 2% milk. The end product is not as rich and creamy as full fat milk, but it’s still a soup with a lot or body.)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
To Prepare:
- Fry the onions in butter until soft and translucent.
- Add the cauliflower, giving it a good toss so that it’s completely covered in the butter as well.
- Add the stock and simmer for 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft.
- Toast the almond flakes.
- Set aside some of the almond flakes for a garnish, but add most to the onions and cauliflower.
- Remove the soup from the heat, and use an immersion blender to puree it until smoother in texture. This soup is meant to have some texture to it, so don’t overblend, and don’t worry about it being silky smooth. (To make it silky smooth you’d have to pass it through a strainer, which is an extra step that this recipe thankfully avoids.)
- Add the milk and return the soup to the heat, bringing it back to a simmer but NOT letting it boil.
- Season with salt and generous amounts of freshly ground black pepper.
- Garnish with the reserved toasted almonds and maybe a sprig of fresh thyme or some chopped chives.
- Serves 4-6, depending upon how many piggies you’re are at the table.
Notes:
- Before you toss those cauliflower leaves and stem into the waste bin, keep in mind that you can use them to make your own vegetable stock. Along with the leaves and stem, add a leek, a large onion, a couple carrots, a couple stalks of celery, some fresh herbs (parsley and thyme), some black peppercorns, and perhaps even one dried bay leaf into a stock pot. Add enough cold water to just cover the vegetables and herbs. Bring to a low boil and then let simmer for an hour or so. Season with salt as needed to draw out the flavor but avoid putting in too much. Usually 2-3 teaspoons are all you need depending upon how much liquid is in the pot. When the vegetables are limp, take them out, and return the stock to the stove and simmer a bit longer if you want a more intense flavor.
- If you don’t have an immersion blender…You can also use a regular blender, but be sure to let the soup cool for about five minutes before putting into the cannister.
