Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Categories: Soups

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower
• 8 Tbsp. butter, cut into 8 pieces, divided use
• 1 leek, white and light green parts
• only, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
• and thoroughly washed
• 1 small onion, sliced
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 4 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 tsp. sherry vinegar OR balsamic vinegar
• OR red wine vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. minced fresh chives

Directions

1. Remove and discard outer leaves from the cauliflower. Using a paring knife, cut around and remove the core. Remove and discard the outer fibrous layers. Thinly slice the core and set aside.
2. Cut a heaping cup of 1/2 inch florets from the head. Set aside.
3. Cut the remaining cauliflower crosswise into 1/2 inch thick slices.
4. In a Dutch oven, or soup pot, melt 3 Tbsp. of the butter over medium- low heat. Add leek, onion, and 3/4 tsp. salt; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, but not browned.
5. Increase heat to medium-high, add the 41/2 cups water, sliced cauliflower core and half of the sliced cauliflower. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add the remaining sliced cauliflower, return to a simmer and continue cooking until cauliflower is tender and crumbles easily, 15 to 20 minutes more.
6. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 5 Tbsp. of butter in an 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the reserved cauliflower florets and cook, stirring frequently, until florets are golden and the butter is browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the florets to a small bowl; toss with vinegar and season with salt to salt. Pout the browned butter from the skillet into a separate bowl, set aside.
7. Transfer the cooked cauliflower-vegetable mixture to a blender and process until completely smooth. Rinse out soup pot. Return mixture to pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat, adding up to 1/2 cup water as needed. Soup should have a thick velvety texture but should not hold peaks when stirred. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. To serve, ladle hot soup into bowls and garnish with browned florets, a drizzle of browned butter and a sprinkle of chives.

9. To thoroughly wash leeks, cut them in half lengthwise, then cut into very thin half-circles. Place the slices in a bowl of cold water and let stand 5 minutes. Any dirt or grit on the leeks will sink to the bottom of the bowl. Remove leeks with a slotted spoon and proceed with recipe.

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