This post recaps my experience at a first-of-it’s kind Culinary Exploration Workshop, where I demonstrated my Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Chestnut Soup as a low-fat, low-salt recipe.
I demonstrated a Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Chestnut Soup
Several weeks ago, I participated in a first-of-its kind Culinary Exploration Workshop at the Culinary Institute of America Greystone in California where I demonstrated my recipe for a Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Chestnut Soup. It was an incredible honor to be part of this event and I am still trying to absorb all that I took in during the two-day session.
Eight chefs (including me) demonstrated low-fat, low-salt recipes, which were all tasted and deliberated upon. The idea was to share and to collaborate ideas among all the folks at the workshop, with the goal of improving upon our recipes, while maintaining low levels of fat and salt in our recipes.
Among the participants were Chef Alex Talbot from Ideas in Food, Chef Plum from Plum-Luv Foods, Chef Beau MacMillan, and Chef Paul Viggiano.
The Culinary Exploration Workshop was featured in the New York Times (my debut) and you can see the highlights in this video (you can see me in action).
I made a Creamy Roasted Cauliflower and Chestnut Soup, which was described in the New York Times article as the following: “Ms. Chen prepared a silken cream of cauliflower soup using chestnuts in place of the cream. It totally fooled the mouth into believing the soup contained a dairy product of some sort.”
Chefs Talbot, Plum, Briwa and me
Chef Beau MacMillan and me
Over the next few months, I plan on exploring cooking techniques that I’ve never tried or have perhaps just dipped my feet in. I’ll be sharing some of my experiments with you right here on Jeanette’s Healthy Living. I believe there are certain cooking techniques and ingredients that can play a role in creating more flavorful foods while remaining healthy.
For example, by using different and perhaps multiple cooking techniques, I might be able to impart richer, deeper flavor into leaner proteins that are otherwise bland. And by using ingredients I’ve never tried, I might be able to create flavors and textures to make eating more pleasurable for those who have trouble chewing and swallowing.
Jeanette’s Healthy Living has always been a place for me to experiment and I hope you’ll follow along in my continual journey to learn more about developing healthy foods that pack a punch in flavor using whole ingredients.
Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Chestnut Soup
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 leek trimmed and well rinsed, chopped
- 2 potatoes peeled, cut up
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 8 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup roasted chestnuts
Croutons
- 1 cup gluten-free bread cut into small cubes
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
- a sprinkling of salt
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss cauliflower with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Roast cauliflower for about 20 minutes until tender and lightly browned.
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Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in large soup pot. Add onion and leek, and saute until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add potatoes, turmeric, thyme, bay leaf and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook, covered, for 15 minutes.
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Add chestnuts and roasted cauliflower and continue to cook 15-20 minutes until potatoes are tender. Carefully puree soup in a blender. Season with salt and pepper.
Croutons
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In a small bowl, combine bread cubes, olive oil, dried thyme and a sprinkling of salt. Toss well.
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Place in a small skillet over medium heat and toss until golden brown and crunchy.
If you like this cauliflower soup recipe, you might also like:
Creamless Cream of Cauliflower Soup
oh this is such a good thing….soup is darn good…without the recipe we would have believed it to be full of cream and substituting half the potatoes is such an innovative idea….all in all this is a rewarding soup….healthy,creamy and nourishing…..waiting for more healthful creations from ur adorable blog 🙂
Definitely will be making this come Fall Cauliflower harvest time! Yum!
Pamela, this is perfect for cooler weather. I know I’ll be making this with all the fall cauliflower.
Mmm, I lovelovelove cauliflower soup. I’m SO trying this soon. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Hope you enjoy it as much as all my friends have!
Wow, what a wonderful experience! Thank you for sharing the recipe for this lovely, creamy soup. I would have paid good money to sit in on that! 😀
Thanks Georgia, it was an awesome experience! Hope you enjoy this soup recipe!
Looks like you had a great time! Soup sounds fantastic, too! 🙂
Sommer, it was an incredible experience and I was honored to be part of it. First of its kind culinary event, and I learned a ton. Much to think about and try.
Congratulations, Jeanette!! How amazing! This soup looks so good!
Thanks Julie, it was such an amazing experience, lots of things for me to mull upon and work on over the next several months. I’m really excited about everything I took away and looking forward to trying all sorts of new things.
What an experience, Jeanette! How amazing. And your soup looks delicious, it’s definitely going on my must-try list.
Thanks Carolyn – yes, it truly was an amazing experience and I’ve already started trying some new things in the kitchen. Hope you enjoy the soup!
Your cauliflower soup sounds wonderful and I would like to try it soon. I’m a little confused about the chestnuts. Did you roast them in shell and then shell them or buy them another way? Looking forward to future tips. Many thanks
I used chestnuts that were already roasted and shelled.
I love the addition of chestnuts! And by the way, you look great in a chef’s jacket!
I’m intrigued by the ingredients and can almost taste the delicious result already! You mentioned, “add onion and leek” in the directions but I don’t see the leek(s) listed in the ingredients. 1 leek? 2? Since I can’t wait to taste your yummy-looking soup, I’ll use at least 1 leek unless you direct otherwise. Thank you for your website. Although I’ve been cooking for many years, I’m new to gluten-free cooking. Having already tried several of your recipes to wonderful accolades (my husband’s) I’m looking forward to cooking for my sister-in-law who has been G-F for years and counts fats, sat fats in particular. Your recipes fit her diet perfectly.
Carol, I hope you enjoy this soup. I used one leek and have corrected the recipe – thanks for the catch. Glad you have found my recipes helpful – I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know. Happy cooking!