Year-Round Comfort Food
Cauliflower Potato Soup
A steaming bowl of homemade soup is the ultimate in comfort food! Roasting the cauliflower brings out its unique flavour and sweetness through caramelization. This soup has a creamy smooth texture without cream or dairy thanks to the addition of potatoes and my high-powered Vitamix Professional Series 750. If you would like a little more richness, add cream or dairy of your choice. It is a gluten-free recipe that can also be made vegan by omitting the butter and using olive oil, and replacing the chicken stock with vegetable stock.
Cauliflower is a great cancer fighting cruciferous vegetable. It is anti-inflammatory and antioxidant rich. Cauliflower is high in vitamin C, vitamin K and beta carotene. It supports healthy digestion and detoxification.
Gremolata is an Italian herb condiment consisting of parsley, garlic, lemon zest and olive oil. It is used here as a suggested garnish. Traditionally it is used in Veal Osso Bucco. It has many other uses including grilled meats, fish, pasta, pizza, roasted vegetables (potatoes), as a marinade, tossed into a salad, as a crostini topping or swirled into plain Greek yogourt as a vegetable dip.
INGREDIENTS
1 medium cauliflower (including stem) cut into florets
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium Ontario onion, sliced
2 medium garlic cloves, sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
4 cups unsalted homemade or store bought chicken stock
5 small Ontario white potatoes, skins on, sliced into rounds
1 bay leaf
sea salt and fresh black pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
GREMOLATA
½ bunch Italian/flat leaf parsley leaves, finely minced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
Zest of 1 Meyer or regular lemon
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
pinch sea salt
GREMOLATA DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredients together well in a small bowl. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for other uses listed above. Keeps for 2-3 days.
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 F. In a medium bowl toss cauliflower with olive oil. Spread cauliflower out evenly on a lined baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes until nicely browned. Toss cauliflower halfway through cooking.
In a large pot over medium high heat melt butter. Add onions, garlic and celery and stir frequently. Cook until softened and translucent, about 5-10 minutes.
Add chicken stock, bay leaf and nutmeg to pot, bring to a boil for a few minutes. Add potatoes and roasted cauliflower and cook until all the vegetables are done, about 15 minutes.
Remove pot from stove, allow to cool slightly. Remove and toss out bay leaf. Ladle soup mixture into a Vitamix or other high speed blender or food processor. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Puree until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add a little extra stock or dairy if you wish. Reheat soup to desired temperature, ladle into bowls and garnish with Gremolata. This soup tastes even better as it sits for a day or more so feel free to make an extra batch and freeze for future use.
