Caulifower Soup

I picked up an onion and a head of cauliflower at the farmers' market this morning in anticipation of making a Paul Bertolli "Genius Recipe" I had seen on Food52. After less than $5 and 5 minutes of "active time," I had a luscious, velvety soup.

Please forgive me, but:

It tastes creamy and rich, but is vegan and quite healthy with just olive oil, onion, cauliflower, water and salt and pepper. All the online comments voiced initial incredulity about the ease and simplicity of the recipe followed by later admissions that it turns out delicious.

Here is the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

olive oil (3T)
onion (1 medium), sliced thin
cauliflower (1 head very fresh, about 1-1/2 pounds), broken into florets 
salt, to taste
water (5 1/2 cups, divided)
extra virgin olive oil, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Warm the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Sweat the onion in the olive oil over low heat without letting it brown for 15 minutes.
   
2. Add the cauliflower, salt to taste, and 1/2 cup water. Raise the heat slightly, cover the pot tightly and stew the cauliflower for 15 to 18 minutes, or until tender. Then add another 4 1/2 cups hot water, bring to a low simmer and cook an additional 20 minutes uncovered.
   
3. Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender to a very smooth, creamy consistency. Let the soup stand for 20 minutes. In this time it will thicken slightly.
   
4. Thin the soup with 1/2 cup hot water. Reheat the soup. Serve hot, drizzled with a thin stream of extra-virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper.

 My only change was to use an immersion blender to puree the soup. I did blend for a quite awhile to ensure it was as smooth as possible.

This is warming and satisfying on a grey, drizzly afternoon such as today. Enjoy!

--Simran

Farmers Market Stew with Fennel, Saffron and Chickpeas

(From the warm and wonderful Simran!) I go to the farmers market every week and buy a bunch of veggies. During the winter, I like to put all of these into a stew or soup that will last all week. First, I clean the veggies and use the trimmings, an extra onion and a few carrots and celery spears to make a quick stock. Then, I wash out my only big pot and start on the stew or soup. This all takes an hour or two on Sunday and I have enough to reheat for several days. Some may call this lazy, but I think of it as efficient and economic.


For inspiration, I most often turn to Deborah Madison's excellent Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. I usually have a slightly different list of ingredients than what she calls for in a recipe, but I use her instructions as guidelines. As she says, "A forgiving food, soup happily accepts a fennel bulb where none was called for, replaces a leek with an onion, provides a home for a tasty leftover."


This recipe is based on Madison's Potato and Chickpea Stew.


INGREDIENTS
fingerling or red potatoes (1 lb) scrubbed and halved or quartered
olive oil (3 T)
onion (1 large) diced
fennel bulb (1) cut into strips, chop some fronds for garnish
saffron (2 generous pinches)
garlic cloves (2 large) minced
parsley (1/4 cup) chopped, leave some for garnish
red pepper flakes (1/4 t)
medium-dry sherry (1/2 cup) I used 1/4 cup each dry vermouth and apple juice
diced tomatoes (1 large can/box) with their juices 
chickpeas (1 can) rinsed
broth or water (3 cups)
freshly milled pepper
salt


DIRECTIONS

1. Warm the oil in a wide pot with the onion, fennel, saffron, garlic and potatoes. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring gently every now and then until the potatoes are tender-firm, about 25 minutes.
2. Add the parsley and pepper flakes and cook 3 or 4 minutes.
3. Add the sherry and cook until the juices in the pan are thick and syrupy, about 12 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas and broth to cover. Season with 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and plenty of pepper. Cover and cook over low heat until the potatoes are completely tender, about 20 minutes.
5. Serve with parsley and fennel fronds.