This soup is comforting and elegant.
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or olive oil
- 1/2 head cauliflower coarsely chopped
- 1 onion chopped (i used red onion)
- 2 cloves garlic sliced
- 3 small potatoes diced
- 1 can white beans rinsed and drained
- 4 cups vegetable stock (good quality)
- 1/2 cup soy milk or cream
- 1 teaspoon salt (depending on how salty your stock is)
- pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons roasted chopped walnuts
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley for garnish
- Carbohydrate 163.6720925 g
- Cholesterol 7.6325 mg
- Fat 6.209005 g
- Fiber 14.1333246238232 g
- Protein 21.2690975 g
- Saturated Fat 2.167915 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1206g)
- Sodium 1017.018 mg
- Sugar 149.538767876177 g
- Trans Fat 0.652445999999999 g
- Calories 765 calories
Step-by-step
- Saute the onion for a few minutes on medium heat until soft and translucent. Add the sliced garlic, saute for 1 minute. Add the cauliflower and diced potato, saute for a few more minutes. Add the stock, white beans and bay leaves. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Puree with a hand blender (or in batches in a blender).
- Top with roasted walnuts and fresh parsley.
Potatoes do the heaviest structural lifting in this formulation, releasing starches during the twenty-five to thirty minute simmer that give the broth its body without requiring heavy roux additions. Dice those tubers uniformly to ensure they soften at the same rate as the coarsely chopped brassica florets. Sautéing the aromatics over medium heat softens the cellular walls of the onions rather than browning them, which keeps the background flavor sweet and neutral.
Achieving a velvety mouthfeel depends entirely on mechanical shearing force applied while the pot is hot. An immersion blender works directly in the vessel, but standard upright countertop machines achieve a finer particle reduction if the liquids are processed in small batches. Always remove the center cap of a traditional blender lid and cover it with a folded towel to vent steam safely while pureeing boiling liquids.
Adding dairy fats or plant milks too early or subjecting them to a rolling boil causes separation and curdling, which ruins the silky texture. Stir the soy milk or cream in just before serving, adjusting the salt level only after tasting because vegetable stocks vary wildly in sodium concentration. Finish each bowl with coarsely chopped roasted walnuts to introduce crunch, contrasting directly against the smooth homogenized base.
Common errors in puréed vegetable soups usually stem from under-cooking the root vegetables or leaving bay leaves in the pot during blending. Fish out those whole leaves before inserting any blades to avoid bitter flecks throughout the broth. Keep the heat at a gentle simmer rather than a violent boil to prevent scorching the bottom starches.
