Cauliflower cashew soup. Black garlic bread.

A variation on a Bon Appétit recipe, this will be nothing like what you are expecting. It’s a rich sumptuous soup that really doesn’t taste anything like cauliflower. The smoked paprika infused garnish adds a colorful dimension both visually and to the flavour.

I first spotted this in one of those Bon Appétit videos. The recipe page on their web site explains that the depth of flavour of this soup is because the cauliflower is effectively steamed in its own liquid, plus the reduced wine of course, a French technique called à l’étouffée. I had a number of unexpected guests the last evening I prepared this. It scaled well. So many empty bowls, and questions of “What was in that soup?”

I knew garlic bread would be a great accompaniment. Using black garlic added another layer of flavour, as well as a nice black counterpoint to the white soup. Which brings to mind this roasted fennel, cauliflower, and cannellini bean soup which was even more black and white.

The black garlic is not critical to the dish, but do give it a try. It is much milder than fresh garlic, yet has a wonderful complexity of flavour.

Cauliflower cashew soup. Black garlic bread.

Servings: people

Author: Steve Paris

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Nearly colourless vegetable stock

3 leeks
1 onion
3 stalks celery
100 g white mushrooms
3 medium carrots
1 red pepper
1 tomato
1 Tbsp peppercorns
3 bay leaves
10 stalks of thyme
1 Tbsp olive oil
10 g butter
7 cups water

Soup

1 onion
4 cloves garlic
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 large head cauliflower
1 cup cashew nuts
2 tsp tahini
6 cups nearly colourless vegetable stock
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup cooking cream omit for vegan

Garnish

1/4 cup olive oil
3 cauliflower flowerets
1/4 cup cashew nuts
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp smoked paprika

Black garlic bread

6 baguettes
5 cloves black garlic the large sort, husks removed
1/4 cup parsley finely diced
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter

Instructions

Nearly colourless vegetable stock

Dice the leeks, onion, celery, and red pepper.
Heat a large saucepan to medium high heat and add the olive oil and butter.
Saute until softened.
Quarter the tomato.
Rinse the mushrooms to remove any grit, then dice or crush (whatever seems appropriate)
Add the water, carrots, mushrooms, bay leaves, thyme, pepper, and diced tomato to the saucepan.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer.
Simmer for 1 hour, then strain. Discard the vegetables.

Soup

Dice the cauliflower into flowerets. Reserve 2 or 3 flowerets for the garnish.
Sauté the onion in the oil in a large heavy saucepan until transparent but not browning.
Add the garlic and thyme and sauté for a couple more minutes.
Add the salt, bay leaves, and wine and bring to a boil. Continue boiling for about 5 minutes or until the wine is reduced by half.
Add the cauliflower, cashew to the saucepan.
Stir, cover, reduce to a low heat, and cook for 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is soft. Make sure it doesn’t brown.
Add the vegetable stock and salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer.
Simmer for 30 minutes. The cauliflower should be starting to fall apart.
Discard the bay leaves and allow to cool.
Add the cream to the soup and blend until very smooth.
Gently reheat before serving.