This cauliflower cashew soup 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 colourful dimension both visually and to the flavour.

Based on a recipe in a 2015 Bon Appétit magazine, this cauliflower cashew soup is so good 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 several unexpected guests one evening that I prepared this. It scaled well. So many empty bowls and questions of “What was in that soup?”

One of the satisfactions of cooking dishes that are a little unusual, such as this cauliflower cashew soup, is guests’ reaction when they taste, and love, a flavour profile that they have never tasted before. Usually, it is obvious what the ingredients are, but with a soup like this, the ingredients are anonymous, making those guests reactions even more interesting.

I knew garlic bread would be a great accompaniment. Using black garlic added another layer of flavour and a nice black counterpoint to the white soup. That brings to mind this roasted fennel, cauliflower, and cannellini bean soup that 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.

Course: Lunch, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Mediterranean Inspired

Keyword: cashews, cauliflower, soup

Servings: people

Author: Steve Paris

This cauliflower cashew soup 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 colourful dimension both visually and to the flavour.

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.