Creamless Cream of Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 clementine peel only
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 ripe pear peeled, cored, chopped (Anjou or similar sweet pear)
Roasted Pepper Puree
- 1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Garnish
- roasted pumpkin seeds optional
Instructions
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Prepare cauliflower. Remove any leaves, and cut out hard core. Slice the cauliflower into roughly 1/2" slices, and then cut the slices crosswise into even pieces. Since the soup is going to pureed anyway, there's no need to cut the cauliflower into florets.
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In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until onions are softened, about 3-4 minutes.
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Add broth, clementine peel, rosemary and cauliflower. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook on low, covered, for 20 minutes until cauliflower is soft.
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Remove from heat and add pear. Puree in batches in a blender until smooth. Return to soup pot and keep warm until ready to serve.
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To prepare Roasted Pepper Puree, place roasted peppers and olive oil in a food processor and process until smooth.
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To serve, ladle soup into bowls. Put a spoonful of Roasted Pepper Puree on top and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.
Recipe Notes
I love the addition of pear to this soup as it adds some sweetness. The clementine peel and rosemary add a unique and unexpected fragrance. If you don't have rosemary, thyme would go nicely with the orange flavor too. The Roasted Pepper Puree and pumpkin seeds on top make an otherwise white soup pop with color and crunch.