I couldn't resist an absolutely beautiful, but huge, head of local cauliflower the other day at the market. It sat on the counter for a couple of days. Then it moved to the fridge. It was starting to get a teeny bit of brown on it one day (I like to imagine it was still fresher than what is often on the shelf at the grocery store), so I finally had to face it. I decided to make soup. Again, short on time, I turned to the Joy of Cooking for a good, basic soup recipe.Cream of Cauliflower Soup
Adapted from the Joy of Cooking
Heat until melted:
1/4 c. chicken stock
1 Tb. unsalted butter
Add and cook, covered, stirring occasionally until tender, not borown, 5 to 10 minutes:
1-2 leeks, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/8 tsp. gr. nutmeg
Stir in:
4 1/2 c. chicken stock
1 1/2 c. white wine
1 1/2 pounds trimmed cauliflower, coarsely chopped (if you have more, just add more stock to barely cover)
Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is tender, 15-20 minutes. Puree in blender until smooth. Return to pot and stir in:
1/4 to 1/2 c. half-and-half or milk
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper
Simmer briefly and serve garnished with chives.
