I feel very strongly about soup. Soup satisfies the body and the soul. There is simply nothing more wonderful then enjoying a beautiful bowl of home-made soup. For me the benchmark of good cooks and good restaurants is the quality of their soup. Soup should be treated with great respect. It should be lovingly and carefully prepared. The ingredients carefully chosen then prepared and cooked to absolute perfection.
The basis of most soups is the stock. It should be home-made. There are some exceptions. House-made stock from a fresh food supplier is a good substitute. This soup recipe calls for home-made chicken stock. When you buy chicken stock in cans or vacuum packages you are buying flavoured water. You should be able to reduce a good chicken stock down so that it becomes thick and syrupy. Try reducing the canned or packaged chicken down and you will be left with nothing but flavoured powder.
Roasting cauliflower changes this plain Jan white vegetable into something so deeply flavoured, so rich and wonderful you’ll find yourself stealing a few florets to nibble as you prepare the soup. Don’t be afraid to let the cauliflower turn a very deep golden colour.
For a vegetarian version of this soup substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock.
This soup has a hands-on time of just 30 minutes to prepare. Add a tossed salad and your dinner is on the table before you can finish a glass of wine. Bon Appetit by friends.
| ROASTED CAULIFLOWER AND LEEK SOUP WITH CHEDDAR CROSTINI | Print |
- 1 head cauliflower cut into 2-inch florets (about 8 cups)
- 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbs butter
- 2 large leeks (white and light green parts only), halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise
- l large onion chopped
- 3 cloves(about 2 tbsp) minced garlic
- 4 cups rich home made chicken stock
- 1½ cups water
- ¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 1¼ cups shredded old Cheddar cheese
- CHEDDAR CROSTINI:
- ¾ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 4 tsp Dijon mustard
- 16 sliced sliced baguettes
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- pinch of Hungarian paprika
- Preheat oven to 425F. (220C)
- Spread cauliflower on rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with the oil. Toss the cauliflower to cover it with oil.
- Roast turning occasionally until deep golden, about 45 minutes. The darker the cauliflower the richer the taste of the soup.
- Meanwhile melt butter(add a little olive oil if necessary) in a skillet over medium heat and add the onions, leeks and garlic and sprinkle with a little salt. Sprinkling onions when you are sauteing them releases moisture and flavour.
- Saute until the leeks and onions are softened, about 6 minutes.
- Transfer the leeks, onions, garlic and cauliflower into a large sauce pan and add the chicken stock, water, salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are very tender.
- Off the heat use a hand held blender and puree the mixture.
- Return to the heat and on medium-low add the Cheddar cheese and mustard. Simmer until cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasonings.
- CHEDDAR CROSTINI:
- Mix Cheddar cheese with parsley.
- Spread mustard over baguette slices and top with cheese mixture.
- Bake on parchment paper-lined baking sheet in 425F (220C) oven until cheese is melted and bread is golden, about 8 minutes.
- Serve with the soup
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Virginia, it’s a chilly one in the high desert of Nevada, and so this post comes at a good time. We’ve frequently whipped up Leek & Potato Soup, but this puts a nice twist on that recipe.
It warms the cockles of my heart to read that you are enjoying this old fashioned soup. Hmmmm Nevada. Eager to here more. I have been out of the loop for a bit. XX Virginia