Look, I’m not going to call Friday night’s dinner a disaster. For one, my husband would jump its undeserving defense and hey, nobody went to bed hungry, did they? But, I hated it. It was a tremendous amount of labor for a just shy of average outcome, none of the dishes lived up to my taste bud’s anticipation of them and even looking at the photos as well as the ample leftovers the next morning, ugh, I just wanted it all to go away. We can’t be great cooks every night, can we? I suppose some disappointing baigan bharta, oily cauliflower with onions and tomatoes and lackluster naan are small prices to pay for lucking out round one with garlic soups and sable cookies.
Because I’m just not the kind of person who handles disappointment well, or without immediately seeking out karmic retribution, on a bleary, rainy Saturday night when after a day of running exhausting errands, my husband and I lacked motivation to do anything but take in some back-episodes of The Wire, I cooked some foods that never fail me.
First on tap was a cauliflower soup that’s showy enough for your next dinner party but takes less than 40 minutes from emptying the grocery bags to steamy sipping. The second is a tuna salad, as untraditional as it gets. Pulled from the New York Times Magazine exactly two years ago, in an article about hunting down unforgettable dishes, it’s my husband’s favorite and I urge you to try it, if dill and pepperoncini are your thing. Finally, we had some Caesar salad with garlic-rubbed Ciabatta bread croutons. I’ve been making Caesar dressing in some format with my mother since I was a kid and we were on vacation at one of those old Inns where the tuxedoed waiter makes everything in front of you, and I fell in love. There is no comparison, no parallel whatsoever between the bottled stuff with its “parmesan” grit and homemade, if you ask me, and over the years I’ve found a recipe that can accommodate any food preference, from a distrust of raw eggs to a dislike of hairy, oily fish (guilty as charged). It won’t mock you for being a fusspot, I promise.
I know it says unbecoming things about me that it took a tried-and-tested meal to reassemble my cooking ego, but sometimes the gap between my expectations and results is so vast that I’m not ashamed to admit needing some comfort before setting out again. In a few days, I’ll renew my hunt for a baingan bharta recipe that mimics the one we’ve fallen in love with at Bombay Talkie, and naan as intriguing as Floyd Cardoz’, until then, I’m taking comfort in leftovers we can’t wait to get into.
Deb’s Caesar Salad Dressing Has been relocated!
Silky Cauliflower Soup
- 1 head cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 quart low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Remove the leaves and thick core from the cauliflower, coarsely chop, and reserve.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the cauliflower and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the cauliflower is very soft and falling apart, about 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and, using a hand held immersion blender, puree the soup, or puree in small batches in a blender and return it to the pot.
Add the Parmesan and stir until smooth.
Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Secret Menu Dill-Pepperoncini Tuna Salad
- 10 to 12 ounces good-quality solid tuna packed in olive oil, well drained*
- 2 scallions washed, trimmed and chopped fine
- 6 pepperoncini peppers, destemmed and julienned
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1/4 cup roasted or smoked almonds, chopped roughly, or a small handful toasted pine nuts
- 1/4 cup good-quality olive oil (or the oil the tuna was packed in)
- 1 tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice or more to taste
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Mix all the ingredients well with a fork in a medium-size, nonreactive bowl. Taste and adjust the lemon juice and pepper. The salad can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated.
- I’ve done this two ways, with oil-packed and the reserved oil, as well as using drained water-packed and adding in 1/4 cup olive oil, and have to say that I find the latter to be a far less oil-slicked result. You can always add more olive oil, but I found it hard to take away the heaviness the oil-packed came with.
I had to laugh because one weekend a while back I cooked six things and four of the six were total flops!
This is the only soup I have ever had a second bowl of. I added maybe a half cup whole milk and an extra clove of garlic. For those saying its bland I suggest two things. 1 I mean its cauliflower it is bland….2 use fresher cauliflower. I just brought mine back from the farm this morning amd used garlic from the farmers market and this was simple and delicious.
I love cauliflower soup!
I love cauliflower in general, it’s a very nonfussy vegetable, if you ask me. But I don’t think there are many fantastic recipes that play up its simplicity, so I love this! Can’t wait to try it.
I’d like to try the cauliflower soup and the tuna salad sounds wonderful.
I’m trying to get myself positive again after a second dish just did do as advertized as they say. Really a pain when you put it a lot of effort and as you say “just shy of average outcome”. I understand your disappointment – but I’ll get back up, as I’m sure you will.
I have a cauliflower just screaming at me to make this soup for lunch today. Thanks for the idea.
i am obsessed with tuna salad and tuna sandwiches and it pains me that my boyfriend is vehemently opposed to both, but this salad with the almonds and spicy things might just help me turn him around…
thanks!
Congratulations on the new blog, Deb!!! I somehow expected something like this to be the reason behind your teasing about a big announcement lately. I´ve been reading the archives and it all looks terrific and inspires me to cook, which is EXACTLY what I need at the moment since I moved out on my own around 2 weeks ago.
Did you ever get around to making the dulce de leche recipe I sent you?
Ohh and one last “by the way”, great subtitle for the blog, I´m still laughing at the reference.
Hi Deb! Just recently discovered your blog and I LOVE it! Keep up the good work and the absolutely fantastic writing! I made the cauliflower soup from this post and your ‘Oreo’-cookies from another post the other day – both were very yummy! Thanks!:-)
I just found this blog and already I love it. Any woman who watches ‘The Wire’ is worthy of my attention, not to mention your recipes look wonderful and your writing is great! I want to try that Cauliflower soup! Yum!
I am going to put you on my blogroll, if you don’t mind!
i made the cauliflower soup tonight and it was deeelish! thanks for the recipe!
I’m thinking those little tart shells would be really nice around some homemade broccoli soup! Maybe because what’s in them in your pictures looks like soup… I think that would be sooo nice! I may have to try it and let you know how it turns out.
I’m featuring this recipe (tuna salad) on my blog today as one of my South Beach friendly recipes of the week. It includes your photo (with a photo credit for you, of course) and a link to the recipe. Let me know if you have any thoughts about me using the recipe.
It’s snowing lightly today in Calgary so this felt like the perfect day to make your cauliflower soup. I LOVED it! The soup was warm, filling and satisfing. The perfect antidote to a grey, windy Saturday.
Deb, I’ve been following you since Ivillage and I’m so glad I’ve stuck around! Made the cauliflower soup and the caesar salad last night! It was delicious, the two go great together and all the crunchy croutons make a nice counterpoint to the creamy soup. Thanks so much for inspiration and keep writing and baking, please!
OH wow, I’m glad I decided to click on over to this link. I am totally going to make this – nearly all of it- ASAP. I’ve been looking for the perfect soup to bless/break in my hand immersion blender, and this is it. Hope the bf likes it, but if not, I will love it just fine. YUM!
wow…
so tempting DEB
thank god i clicked ..!
thanks alot!!
your comments are MORE interresting not les than the recepies themselves..:)
The tuna salad looks great.
Hi Deb,
I have scoped out your web-site for awhile now and decided that I really need to start trying your recipes NOW since I plan on making every single one posted, hehe.
I was at Whole Foods last night and saw that the cauliflower was on sale for $.79/lb. I thought back to this post and immediately grabbed the head of cauliflower making a note to myself that I would make soup out of it.
I went back home and made a pot of this soup and I was very impressed. I’ve never made cauliflower soup before and to my surpise, I really loved it. The picture you posted is what really pushed me to try it. It just looked so creamy with the specs of pepper showing…I really needed to try it. Even my boyfriend, who saw the pot of cauliflower boiling in the chicken stock and commented on how weird it was to be making soup of of, *gasp*, cauliflower, loved it.
I made the soup last night so I could bring it into work for lunch today (which worked out great because it’s currently gloomy and rainy here in PHX) and my boyfriend asked, “Where’s the protein?”
So, I immediately decided I would make the tuna salad you posted because it looked and sounded like something I would absolutely love (balsamic, mustard, lemon, pepperoncini…all things I adore and should eat in moderation, but don’t).
I didn’t have most of the ingredients on hand, so I decided to make do with some hearts of palm, pepperoncini, lemon,dijon mustard, spicy brown mustard, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, some red pepper flakes (I’m a spicy-food freak), some dried basil, and tuna. It turned out great. Thank you for posting this recipe up. I wouldn’t have thought to make it the way I did if I hadn’t seen this post.
Now I am at work happily typing away after a very, very satisfying lunch, thinking, “Damn, I should have brought more..”
Thank you!
Hi Deb! I’ve been reading SK for a while now (naturally, enjoying it immensely) and there’s a bunch of recipes I’ve done a mental note of. Last week, finally, the stars were lined up perfectly for the silky culliflower soup (leftover homemade chicken stock, leftower parmesan, perfect little head of cauliflower, very little time and a need for something new, delicious and comforting…) Anyway, here I am, to douple check the amount of cheese for the second run and copy the recipe to a safe a place. We loved it, we really did! Thanks, and Happy New Year!
try adding half a head of radicchio to the cauliflower soup while it’s simmering, and finish it off with a slug of balsamic. pure heaven.
Cauliflower soup was very good. I added basmanti brown rice with the cauliflower, and cooked it 25 minute longer. Added cayenne and nutmeg after blending.
bland hospital food
Who the fuck is Jason? Go away, dork.
Debs, you have no idea how many times I have made all three of these recipes. I think this is my favorite SK page of all time. ;) I add a pinch of crushed red pepper to the soup and top the salad with sauteed capers (and sometimes shallots), which gives a nice saltiness in lieu of anchovies. The dressing recipe is perfect for me since it doesn’t involve nasty egg. Bravo!
oh man. so yesterday i clicked through to this recipe and thought, “hey! easy! i’m going to make this tonight!” so i went to the store after work, bought the ingredients and made it. it was pretty good. i might roast the cauliflower next time. whatever. so i come back to read other comments and what the hell, i already made this freaking soup, two years ago! and commented on it! (see #10). man, kids rot your brain, that’s all i gotta say.
That completely cracks me up. Thanks for sharing!
I tried to make this soup so many times but everytime I bought a head of cauliflower I’d munch on it raw and roast the other half with capers and red pepper flakes. So glad I finally made it! It was the easiest soup I’ve ever made and it was truly delicious. I added a little nutmeg and red pepper flakes to the onion/garlic mixture for added heat. And crunchy croutons are a must!
I enjoyed the ceasar dressing too, thanks for the great recipes and even greater commentary!
I made the Cauliflower Soup last night and it was deeelicious! My boyfriend ate three bowls. It was perfect for a rainy evening. For future cooks: it needed quite a bit of salt to make up for the low-sodium broth.
Oh my god!!!! As it usually happens to me, found you by
accident ( best accident ever ), your apple tart recipe is
in the oven right now, tomorrow will have some friends over
for lunch and guess what will I fix for them, your cauliflower
salad ! have to to through your page a lot more but, hey, you`re
great.
Have a great year, and keep on cookin^
Congratulations from Mexico City……….it`s great, just don`t listen
to the news. HAHAHAHA
Just made the Silky Cauli Soup. Oh lord. It was so good! How can it be that something so humble and easy and frankly ick looking when cooking turn into something I had to fight not to gulp down like an utter savage? It is raining outside, but all the folks in this house are warm bellied and satisfied. I love this site.
Oh my god, thank you so much for this recipe. I had a whole bunch of steamed cauliflower florets left over from last night’s dinner, as well as some chopped up baked sweet potatoes. I just threw those onto the onions + garlic, poured on the stock and let it rip. No chopping required (thanks leftovers!) The sweet potatoes worked brilliantly and made the soup really…sweet.
I am sick and this couldn’t have been easier.
Love your site and have lost count of how many things I’ve made from it!
This is an awesome, easy, impressive recipe. I’ve made it several times now, but last night I decided to add fresh chives and shiitakes that I’d sauteed in butter and ginger. Wow. I also went a little lighter on the cheese since I added the richness of the buttery mushrooms. Delicious!
Ok deb, I’m not stalking you I swear, but I check your blog every morning, even before I check my facebook. And for a 23 year old, that says everything. Today I made your cauliflower soup, and it was so delicious!! It had a creaminess that makes you think it might half a little cream or half and half in it. Thanks for another great recipe!
I have a head of cauliflower sitting here mocking me and I need to do something with it. However, with it being 105 outside, I’m not sure I want soup. Would this soup freeze well, to be heated up again in less inferno-like temperatures? If not, I will just have to *suffer* through, because it sounds fantastic!!
Just made the cauliflower soup and it was delicious! I added white kidney beans before pureeing everything together, then I topped the finished soup with homemade croutons and pesto. Yum!
I made the soup last night and it was nice but I feel like it needs some acid to cut it. Any advice? I tend to add vinegar to everything so I’d rather stay away from that.
I made the cauliflower soup last night and added a bit more parmesan, and the tuna salad this morning, subbing a few capers for the nuts. I used one can water-packed tuna drained and one oil-packed with its oil and it turned out fabulously.
I can’t wait to try this. Soups absolutely lovely
I made the soup tonight and wasn’t very wowed – I combined some chicken stock with some veggie stock so perhaps that’s why, or maybe my cheese wasn’t fresh enough. I don’t know but I didn’t have that wow factor that everyone else did and I love cauliflower.
On the upside I did get to christen my new hand, held immersion blender that you inspired me to get and that was so much fun.
Hi Deb,
I had a smitten kitchen weekend where I made your simple coleslaw, phenomenal, and the cauliflour soup. I felt the soup needed a little more “umph” (I’m not typically a soup eater), so I added a little heavy cream, a couple tablespoons of fresh tarragon, and a about a teaspoon of truffle oil, and boy oh boy. For me it was missing a savoriness that I think the truffle oil brought out. But hell, you could put truffle oil on a dirty diaper and I’d eat it.
Anyways, I really enjoy your Web site and I’m looking forward to making your raspberry-topped lemon muffins tonight for my boss’s birthday. Ka-ching!
I made this soup and thought it was good but needed something extra. A buttery baguette slice or a little extra herbage. It was a quick and healthy meal though.
OMG. This Tuna is the best I’ve EVER had! I just made it last night and am eating for lunch right now…..it’s just amazing! Thanks!
Holy cow, Heaven in a bowl!!! I could eat this everyday. I tried it without the Parmesan, it was amazing with or without. I left about 2 cups full not blended, it’s great with a few chunks.
So, I check your blog daily…The picture was beautiful of the soup. I made this soup today because I had cauliflower laying in my fridge, they are so cheap and tempting to buy I don’t even like them much. What i was trying to say is…the soup was great! I had Truffle oil which i was to scared to use…and i drizzled a bit on top. creamy, with bits of black pepper. perfect!
Thanks for sharing this! I made it tonight and it’s great. A few substitutions: I used vegetable broth instead of chicken stock, and added just over 3/4 cup of cheese instead of 1/2. The result was a soup full of flavor, but still light and refreshing enough for the year’s first 74 degree day in DC.
We had a Smitten Kitchen Easter around here with this soup and the unbelievable Quiche Lorraine, accompanied by arugula salad. It was all SO good, and perfect for a spring lunch that was festive but not too heavy. I came to SK looking for inspiration and was not disappointed! On another subject, I see you were recently on a cruise with your little one and thought you might get a kick out of my travel diary posted at Slate.com (a week-long series) about sailing home from Europe on the Queen Mary 2 with our 3 year old. http://www.slate.com/id/2247698/entry/2247701/
It only gets better when you can you can drop them at the kids’ play place and enjoy an amazing 4 course meal in peace every night!!
Thanks for the great recipes. Weirdly enough, I’m pregnant and also enamored of Le Pain Quotidien. Is it something in the bread dough?
The cauliflower soup was spectacular! I’m eating a bowl right now and I’m not sure if there will be any left over for my husband when he gets home tonight.
Wow! I’ve never been so impressed by a recipe! I just finished the cauliflower soup, and it is to die for! I bought the cauliflower the other day not knowing what I would do with it. And as I was stumbling around to find recipes for something else entirely, I found your blog, and as I was flipping through I saw this recipe and decided to give it a go. I have very few ingredients in my kitchen which made this perfect, although I do have to admit I used water instead of stock, and didn’t include the parmasan at all (didn’t have any!), and I had to borrow the blender. And I’ve never had such good soup! It is so creamy and yummy, I’m going to share it with everyone! Thank you!
Love this Caesar salad dressing! I’ve made it 3 times so far and is not going away. The soup was also very good. I love the nutty taste of Cauliflower and am always looking for recipes to roast, bake, grill or soup this veggie. Thanks for the recipes!
This soup was delicious and simple to make. It reheated well and caused a lot sniffing around my soup bowl in the break room. Kudos!
The tuna salad was wonderful! Served it in avocado halves on top of chopped Romaine with sliced tomatoes. Yum!!! Thanks. :-)
The Cauliflower Soup is delicious. I added about a tablespoon of an Italian hot chili sauce (Silafunghi)as I was pureeing the soup. It added a little warmth to the soup and gave it an nice orangish color. Great with or without parmesan.
Two words about the cauliflower soup: smoked paprika!! Yum!
Wow!! The cauliflower soup – just made it on a whim because I’m home sick, and Wow!! I added a bit of butter and a glug of white wine…super tasty! Thanks again for an awesome recipe!
So Deb, this is about four years late, but I was wondering, have you found that recipe for baingan bharta because if you haven’t, I happen to have a killer recipe which I’m pretty much addicted to which I would be quite happy to e-mail to you if you’re still looking.
Thanks Vidya — Nope, never did. I’ve made a few but none were ever “right”. thesmitten/gmail. Would love to see what you’ve got while there are still some eggplants at the market! Thanks.
Deb,
I made the soup and it’s definitely silky! what did you drizzle over the soup?? I added a bit of white wine and it turned out amazing! Thanks!
I just tried this, and it was amazing–we added a few shakes of nutmeg to the soup as it cooked, which was heavenly, and I think toasted pine-nuts would go really well as well.
From the peanut gallery: This soup was AMAZING. It is one of those classics that is way more than the sum of its parts; it’s delicious and Deb wasn’t kidding when she said it was easy. Wham, bam, thank you ma’am!
I was looking for an easy soup to serve with my latkes last night and came across this. You’ve never let me down, Deb, so I gave it a try. My husband was deeply suspicious of the very idea of cauliflower soup. And to be honest, I couldn’t quite see how a few simple ingredients were going to morph into something meriting all these raves. But nes gadol hayah sham! I was astonished when I tried it, even before the parmesan went in. This really is amazing. And my husband went back for seconds. Thanks!
Eating a bowl of the cauliflower soup now – delicious! I topped mine with a spoonful of ff sour cream and a generous dusting of cracked black pepper.
I made each of these recipes about a year ago and I love them all! There is something about the tuna dish that is fabulous (a descriptor I rarely use when describing a dish that starts with canned tuna). I stumbled across this post tonight, and we happen to have a cauliflower in the fridge and a stack of tuna in the pantry. Dinner is decided. Thank you for sharing!
Hey, just for the record, your “anchovy-less” Caesar salad dressing is definitely not anchovy-less if it contains Worcestershire sauce, as one of the ingredients of Worcestershire is anchovies. Kind of disappointing, since I am looking for a good vegetarian Caesar dressing recipe. I’ve loved many of your other recipes though, thanks so much!
T — No kidding! 15 years as a vegetarian, never knew that. Thanks for getting me up to speed.
Made this tonight and used a mushroom stock as the base. OMG. This is amazing. My 3 1/2 year old is slurping it up right now, just had to share that. Everyone, your children WILL eat this, even if they don’t like veggies. That’s major kudos to you, Deb. I rarely comment on recipes, but I had to this time. Now she’s tilting the bowl up and licking it. THANK YOU!!!
This was GREAT. Super easy and super delicious. I had a yukon potato lying around so I threw that in also. The soup had a lovely creamy texture with not a drop of cream.
I can’t thank you enough for posting the tuna recipe. I usually only eat tuna because of the benefits to vegetarians especially, but am not a huge fan of the fish in general. But with this recipe? I can actually eat it straight out of the bowl without bread! LOVE IT.
I just made the cauliflower soup, and it was delicious. It didn’t really sound delicious when I found it, but the comments convinced me, and I trust you, Deb (unlike some recipe writers/reviewers, you seem to have the taste buds of a normal person).
The soup was great, and perfect for lunch (today, we have ice and snow and it’s a great day to stay inside), since it did not require any heavy cream, an ingredient that I seldom have when needed, and would not go out on a snowy Sunday to obtain, no matter how much I wanted a creamy filling soup. I did use butter in place of olive oil to soften the onion and garlic — it sounded good.
The other marvelous thing about the recipe is that it could easily become a recipe-less staple — I mean, you need some onion and garlic, some cauliflower with broth to cover, and a goodly amount of cheese. What could go wrong? I can see why you would turn to this recipe to restore your feeling of “kitchen chops.”
Deb– have you seen the broccoli soup recipe in the March/April Cook’s Illustrated? It’s very similar, but uses broccoli for the cauliflower. It’s damn good, made it tonight. It’s a shade more work than your cauliflower soup (which is one of our fall-back favorites, by the way), but it’s really delicious. If you’re feeling inspired, give it a shot!
I’ve been resisting the idea of peporoncini with tuna…from someone that likes salsa on tuna I’m not sure why. I noticed that my greens with herbs mix had a bunch of dill in it today. So, after I added my tuna I grabbed the jar of peporoncini and finally…I get it!! Next step is to make the proper dressing rather than just balsamic and olive oil…yippee. Another tuna salad.
Silky cauliflower soup — did you add a swirl of reduced balsamic on top of the soup? The contrast is so beautiful.
Nope, that’s unevenly ground black pepper! But I love the balsamic idea — a few drops of an aged one would be delicious.
Hi!
I just looove your blog. I stumbled upon it about 10 days ago now I am totally hooked! Lovee your baby boy’s pic. The recipes are great. You are inspiring me to do new stuff in the kitchen which I had sadly let go the past few months. Thank you!
I made this once before and thought it needed a little more kick. Today I roasted the cauliflower (tossed the cauliflower onto a lightly baking sheet after heating the pan in the oven at 475, and let it continue to cook at 475 until it had brown spots.) before adding it to the soup and wow … just amazing. It’s going to be one of my favorite soups from now on.
Delicious soup! I made this last night and it was so simple and tasty. The key is great ingredients: we used homemade stock and farmer’s market cauliflower. Yum! Thanks so much!
I made the silky cauliflower soup for dinner last night. It took a bit longer to cook than I expected, but it was totally worth the wait. It’s amazing that such simple ingredients can yield something so tasty! I will definitely make it again.
I just made the soup and it was great. My neighbor came over and tried some too and she asked for the directions. More soups Please!!!!
It is the best time to make some plans for the future and it’s time to be happy. I have read this post and if I could I wish to suggest you few interesting things or suggestions. Maybe you could write next articles referring to this article. I want to read more things about it!
About how much does this cook up? I am going to a soup swap and was thinking of trying this version of cauliflower soup but I need 6 quarts!! I hope you read this and post back. =) thanks
The soup was great – I added cumin (courtesy of your cumin/cauliflower/yogurt post) some old bay, bay leaf, and mustard seeds, a tab of butter and a swirl of cream (I can’t help myself!) and it was perfect for this dreary winter evening. Thanks!
After looking through the comments, I chopped up the cauliflower and roasted it (just long enough to cut and cook up the onions and garlic, pour my last glass of Beaujolais Nouveau and help the kids with something) before adding it to the mix. Threw in some fresh parsley, then a couple extra pats of butter after blending.
Despite the facemaking that accompanied the declaration of “I don’t like cauliflower”, both of my little lads inhaled the soup without ANY threatening words (No dessert for you!) from me. Now there’s barely enough for me to have lunch today. I need to make more next time.
The recipe, despite looking like cream of wheat, is delicious and easy and going in my esteemed recipe binder.
My husband huffed and puffed when I told him we were having cauliflower soup for dinner… ‘oh great, cauliflower .. Yum’
I made this soup and changed just a couple things.. I rendered pancetta first before sautéing the onion.. Saved the bits for soup toppings. I also added in a handful of small yellow skinned potatoes.. It came out unbelievably good. Sooo silky! We fought over the leftovers.
I made this soup a few nights ago and it turned out fabulous, I made a few modifications though, I added some Lima beans and some garbanzo beans. Thanks for this recipe, even my dad liked it and he doesn’t like soup!
Hi Deb! I am a lame follower because I never comment, but I have been making your recipes for a while and LOVE them. I recommend all my clients (I am a holistic health coach and teach people how to shop and cook) use your blog who are looking to start cooking. Your recipes are great and mostly very healthy I tweek them here and there for my own craziness.
And what has made me comment tonight is this Tuna Salad from heaven! I never make tuna (first time I bought it in over a year) because I don’t like it plain and I don’t like it with mayo or the veganese that I use. This is amazing I loved it and it’s super healthy. I could go on and on about the things I have cooked from your site but I wont in the sake of your time.
Thanks for doing such a great job!
I made your Silky Cauliflower Soup tonight for dinner. Hubby can’t stop raving! It is so rich and delicious!
I did add 2 ounces of cream cheese to the recipe and blended it in at the end.
I am SO looking forward to trying your other recipes! Thanks for posting.
Jan
Good soup. In case anyone is like me and subs similar ingredients without thinking enough, there’s a reason it says finely grated parmesan, not shredded or shaved. Grated (I assume) disappears into the soup, while shaved, which I used, melts into globs. Delicious, but not so great for the soup’s texture.
the tuna salad nirvana continues. I love this tuna salad exactly as the recipe states. I do serve it with crackers…wheat thins. I need to get away from the carbs but the crackers really go well with it. May try more almonds next time to up the crunch to eliminate the crackers:-)
I’ve made this twice so far and will make my slightly tweaked version again and again. (I’ve already got a head of califlower in the crisper for the next batch!) The first time I used the parmesan cheese per the recipe and decided it wasn’t my favorite flavor combination. This week I used finely shredded mild cheddar cheese and that was just perfect for me. This soup is quick & easy enough to make on a weeknight and it really is silky smooth. Good way to get your vegetable servings in!
Hi,
Cumin goes really well with cauliflower soup!
Made it ALL and it was fabulous!
Hi! Fantastic blog!…I am making your delicious sounding cauliflower soup as I write this – on a rainy afternoon. The tuna also sounds delicious. Please clarify – are the pepperoncinis pickled or fresh? I have tried searching but can’t make out whether the common reference infers that they are pickled?
The jarred ones. I am pretty sure that they’re pickled.
OK, here’s an off the wall question. How big is the cauliflower you used in this recipe? I just bought one that is HUGE and I wonder if it might require that I double all the other ingredients.
thanks for the recipe and for your blog.
Nancy — This recipe is forgiving and I think you can use whatever you’ve got.
The cauliflower soup was awesome. I paired it with your broccoli fritters for dinner, it was delicious. I love your blog too. You have delicious recipes and beautiful photos of your food. Thanks so much.
Thoughts on throwing some cumin in the soup, and dressing it up the same way you do the roasted cauliflower, with the feta/yogurt topping and pomegranate seeds (I am COMPLETELY obsessed with that recipe)? Would that be weird on a soup?
P.S. I love you. You have played a huge role in making me a rockstar in the kitchen, and making my husband and three tiny boys VERY happy. I made your roasted apple sheet cake in the shape of a star, and topped it with the maple cream cheese frosting (from your pumpkin cupcakes recipe…which I actually made for his 2nd bday!) for my son’s 4th birthday, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Party”..topped it with a bunch of raw sugar for a “shimmering” effect. So thanks.:)
This soup was so good. I had all the ingredients on hand, and I was able to prep everything while my 10-month old drank his bottle in the highchair. Followed the recipe exactly and added one teensy pinch of nutmeg at the end. My husband gobbled it up and proclaimed it future dinner party worthy! If only more recipes were this quick, easy, and delicious!
Made the cauliflower soup yesterday using a deep orange cauliflower and Parmesan broth. Added a touch of smoked paprika… Fabulous! Looking forward to trying the cauliflower fritters… We love roasted cauliflower as a healthy snack.
I made this the other day and it was perfection! So very creamy, rich and flavorful. I will definitely be keeping this recipe around to make again and again… OH! And it was really easy. Thanks.
I must have a giant cauliflower head. 1 quart of liquid was not enough to cover the whole cauliflower. Is this normal? I decided to double the recipe just in case.
I made this soup for dinner tonight and it was delicious. I didn’t find it needed any salt after adding the cheese and I garnished my bowl with a splash of balsamic vinager and a dollop of greek yogurt for a bit more richness and some protein. Again, delicious! Thanks!
Stumbled upon your recipe on a night when I had a head of cauliflower and no idea what to do with it. Had to make a few mods since it was a whats-in-my-kitchen kind of night but it turned out really great. Added some cayanne pepper, one stalk of celery and thyme. Topped it off with some crumbled havarti. Thank you so much for the inspiration!
I made the cauliflower soup–my first recipe from this site–last night, and it was a hit! Thanks so much for this post. I am just now learning to cook, and your instructions were spot on and easy to follow. I will definitely be back for more recipes.
We made this soup and my full belly can attest that it was scrumptious! It was a snow day today, so we used what we had: regular chicken broth, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, shredded leftover rotisserie chicken (for a lil bit of protein) and a couple dashes of hot sesame oil. Superb winter meal for this snowy night.
My mother has recently made cauliflower soup and raved about how delicious it was. I wasn’t convinced but decided to try this recipie with Parmesan cheese as I don’t like milk which many other recipies seem to use. Made it this morning. Worrying that it could be bland I added a shake of cumin, coriander and a bay leaf. Senses tests failed miserably. Didn’t like the smell as it cooked. Found the baby purée look (being polite here) really unappealing. Tasted before adding the Parmesan & found it really bland. Added Parmesan, still bland but cheesy. Mouth feel unpleasant because of the melted cheese. Nice idea which I so wanted to like. I love cauliflower but definitely won’t be making or tasting a soup of it again! Wish my mother lived closer. Maybe the birds would eat it mixed with bread. Hate waste. Ah well you live and learn. I should have heeded poor Jason’s comment.
I just made this tuna salad for lunch and my husband and I agreed it was amazing! Usually we are still in soup mode out here in rainy Seattle, but the weather has been so nice, it seemed perfect. I love the combination of herbs and mustard and pine nuts for crunch, plus the pepperoncini. Next time I am going to try adding a little cannellini beans and Mama Lil’s hot peppers. Thank you for a lovely lunch surprise!
I just whipped up some of this soup for a warming lunch. I didn’t add the cheese, and used stock cubes. My head of cauliflower was small, and yielded two generous serves. Tastes lovely! Will definitely be making mother batch!
This post inspired me, I made the soup for lunch and the tuna for dinner. Both are so delicious and simple. I’ve been in a cooking rut, and this got me out of it. Thanks Deb!
I have a ton of cauliflower and this soup looks like a perfect use for it. Question though – Can you make the cauliflower soup a day ahead of time & reheat?
Also, any thoughts on using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth?
Rachel — No problem at all. But use a good one, if you can. The bad ones are so very bad, I’m sure you’ve noticed.
As you probably know, it’s gonna blizzard tonight in New York so what could be better than homemade soup? Plus, I need to cook the frozen cauliflower from the fall’s farmer’s market before it…I don’t know what DOES happen to cauliflower when it’s past it’s prime? The recipe is sublime in it’s simplicity. Just a warm hug of goodness. I added some dried porcinis which were sitting around waiting for their cauliflower soup destiny and a nutmeg pinch. A splash of Tabasco and…damn that’s good soup! Thanks for making something so simple be so, so good.Happy New Year.
YUM! Quick question – how many servings does this recipe yield? I’m having a bunch of guests over for a dinner this weekend and want to make sure I have enough, as I know everyone will want a second bowl :)
It should serve 4 to 6.
YUM!!!!! Made the soup – fantastic (this month has been a crash course in cauliflower).
Now let’s talk tuna salad – HOLY WOW. I used a big handful toasted slivered almonds and omitted the dill (I. just. can’t. like. dill.) Doubled the scallion content.
Deb, it was all great. Thank you!
I make this cauliflower soup often, sometimes every other week — my family loves it, it’s cheap, it’s healthy, it’s quick. I usually use homemade broth and add a dash of nutritional yeast. I’ve been thinking about roasting the cauliflower with some EVOO and the nutritional yeast first, but haven’t bothered because the soup is just so good as written and I don’t really want to add any extra work. Thank you so much for the recipe!
This tuna salad has become one of my favorite things to eat, ever. Do you think there’s a way to adapt these flavors into a side dish? Maybe reduce the oil and add chopped cucumber or something? It would be so good as a side at a cookout.
Deb, I made the cauliflower soup and, OMG! But I only had half a cauliflower head and had to feed a family, so I added two russet potatoes and half a pound of button mushrooms, a 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme, and a dash of red pepper flakes. This was, is, will be so good (leftovers!).
Wonderful warming Cauliflower soup, added a little chili and loadsa black pepper. Funny how September comes and the first thing I can think of is nice hot soup with some crusty bread
LOVE this soup! So easy, so delicious.
Silky is an understatement, and with only olive oil, this soup is low-fat yet with a full feel — if that makes sense. I thought it needed a shake of hot sauce, but my husband thought it was perfect. Great way to use up the CSA over abundance of cauliflower.
I have been sick for the past two days and my boyfriend promised to cook dinner. I had already planned on making this soup this week, but he agreed to do it tonight and it was delicious! BF for the win :) great recipe and easy to follow, Thanks!
Hi! Just had to let you know that last nights meal was your super yummy soup and your salad dressing. I was worried my husband and son wouldn’t like it, but they love it ‘Thanks! for the dressing – since I didn’t have Anchovies – l added extra couple glugs of wortcheshire, and an extra tbls lemon juice and a good pinch of salt. I also added some Italian seasoning and a couple good pinches of parmesan cheese, Now it tastes a bit like Olive Garden salad dressing ! yummy! But the soup is SO yummy! So creamy but without all the fat that typically makes things creamy!!! Can also add a Small bit of cheddar for a cheesy version.
Thanks again!
Just made the cauliflower soup and it’s a huge hit. I roasted the cauliflower before adding it to the soup and I think it adds so much flavor.
Love your site. It’s my go-to place for recipes. Thanks!
I make a recipe almost exactly like this, except I use butter instead of olive oil, and I add 2 rounded tablespoons of chopped jalapeños (from jar) to the onions and garlic. Sometimes I also add 2-3 tablespoons of softened cream cheese. Love it–my favorite soup!
I’m not quite sure how just cauliflower, chicken broth, onion, garlic and Parmesan can be so amazingly good, but wow! It really is! I thought I’d make it since the reviews were so good, it’s healthy and it will make quick lunches this week (I’m a teacher, so it’s nice to easily prep the night before). It definitely surpassed my expectations! Thank you for a great, simple, delicious recipe! I followed the directions pretty much to the letter (I think I used a little less broth because I doubled the recipe).
Put me down as another rave review. I was very skeptical, but I had all of the ingredients so I figured I would try it and it couldn’t have been more delicious. I added some red pepper flakes and cumin to the onions/garlic and stirred in a bit of plain Greek yogurt at the end, but other than that I followed the recipe. Another hit, Deb :)
I made this this morning for lunch – put me down as a fan. I topped with fresh chives and some roasted pumpkin seeds and a dollop of plain Greek yogurt. This is going in my “easy pantry recipes” file. All these ingredients are typically in my house at the same time.
Deb – what would you think about adding some cayenne or cumin for some zip or smokiness? Better to get your thoughts first before ruining what sounds like an amazing soup!!
I made this tonight and it was delicious. I did change it a bit – I roasted the cauliflower, sliced the onions, kept the garlic in it’s skin, tossed it all in the olive oil, some thyme and salt and pepper and roasted it. I took all of that and added it to the stock and simmered for about 20 minutes, then pureed and added the park. It’s very good. Thanks!
I’ve made roasted cauliflower soup and cauliflower-potato soup and cauliflower-cheddar soup–and they all have their charms. I love this soup as-is for the purity of the cauliflower flavor. I’ve also served it with the Parmesan Crisps (from the David Lieberman recipe) and a sprinkle of chives. Another good way to serve the soup is to put a dollop of creme fraiche in a bowl, ladle the soup around the creme fraiche, and then sprinkle the soup with chives.
I made this over the weekend. Wow. It was amazing, and now all i can think of is what other vegetables could I use in this very basic but amazing recipe?? I used one of those lovely orange cauliflowers, which gave the soup a very appealing color. Thanks, it was wonderful!
I just made the soup and the tuna salad. Absolutely delicious, I’m trying to eat clean and a little healthier and both fit the bill. The fats are good healthy ones and both items were so filling.
Has anyone tried adding spinach to it?
I love this soup — since spring is never going to appear on the East Coast, still making this for a quick, delicious dinner with some home made bread!
I’ve been looking for a tuna salad that is mayo-free (although I do love homemade mayo/aioli!) And this tuna hit the spot especially if you’re a mustard and pepperoncini lover. I didn’t use whole pepperoncini peppers, instead purchased the pre-sliced pepperoncini peppers and used probably 3-5 TBSP (because I love them so much). I also used water packed good-quality albacore tuna and the 1/4 cup EVOO was plenty for my taste! Thank you Deb and NY Times!
Add turmeric. Yum!
I followed the advice of some cooks on here and roasted the cauli first. Word of caution on that front: don’t let it char. I usually roast things til pretty black in spots, but I wish I hadn’t for this recipe, because the soup tastes a bit ‘burned’ to me now.
It also seems to lack something. I added smoked paprika, but think I’ll try a little balsamic to serve to give it a bit of a kick.
The cauliflower soup is fantastic and dare I even say healthy? I added some carrots and celery, which made it a little oranger than in the photos, and a slug of butter, because why not, and it was awesome. It reheated beautifully too. It is missing a tiny something, and I think next time I’ll add a healthy swig of sriracha.
I make this soup often, and it’s always a hit. It is one of my most requested “how do you make that” recipes! Thanks for sharing such a simple and tasty winter soup.
Heaven in a bowl!
Excellent tasting soup and so simple. We had all the ingredients without a trip to the store and this was easy and tasty. I added a bit of pepper and chipotle tabasco but you could also add rice to bulk it up a bit for a dinner meal. Very nice soup and we will make this again.
I feel compelled to finally leave a tiny review about this excellent, simple soup. My wife and I have now made it for two Passover seders in a row to excellent reviews. It is of course lovely on its own, but we add matzo balls (cooked separately) just for the seder meal. SO much more interesting as a vehicle for matzo balls than plain old broth any day, especially for a couple of vegetarians. I’m not usually one for leaving recipes as they are (it’s a character flaw), but we don’t do a thing to this and it’s perfect. Yes, normally roasting the cauli seems like a great idea, but you really don’t need to go to all the trouble here.
Felt compelled to finally leave a review that we’ve made this soup and have been making it about at least once a month for the better part of 9 years! Thanks for a great family recipe.
I had a really sad looking cauliflower begging for mercy from the vegetable crisper this morning, and everything else in the pantry. 20 minutes later, I had an amazingly delicious soup for lunches! It’s not much to look at but it’s much, much better than the sum of its parts, and so filling with a semolina roll!
Now, just hope it freezes well!
Excellent soup! Made this yesterday and had it with dinner last night. Easy to make, looks great and tastes great. I would up the seasonings, but other than that, another SK winner.
I made the cauliflower soup last night. The “something missing” noted in some other reviews seems to be a bit of acidity and spice. I added juice from half a lemon, plus a dash of cayenne, which really helped bring out the flavors. Otherwise it’s a great, easy recipe!
I made this as we love cauliflower but it was a bit too bland. We doubled the cheese (!) and added a bit of cream. It was much better but still not our favorite when usually we love everything we make from SK!
Oh and when we added more salt, it really made the flavor come out!
Hi! Any recommendations for brands of good quality tuna that we could see at the store?
Thank you!
Wild Planet or Safe Catch are the tinned tuna I prefer.
WOW. Just made this soup for lunch … was totally jonesing after your post … and it did NOT disappoint!! Thank you! Color was a little off since had to use red onion, but taste was delish, and very fast & easy. Now I’m inspired to maybe add poached shrimp and parmesan “croutons” like one of my fav soups at NYC’s best seafood restaurant, Aquagrille! Very excited.
Any idea on calorie count? Feels healthy since no cream and minimal cheese / oil …
I made the tuna salad and the soup this weekend. Used less mustard (& only had Dijon) but otherwise followed recipe and we loved it. It was even better after few hours in the fridge. The soup is delicious and nice change from our ‘lettuce soup’ which I keep in fridge nearly year round. Thanks for two new recipes.
Deb – I’ve followed you for years and love your recipes. This time, you saved me. I was ordered to follow a liquid diet pre-surgery. I had smoothies down okay, but lunch and dinner?
I made this soup and LOVED it – it was absolutely perfect. I stirred in a little sour cream to add substance and this was my meal for several nights. Thank you, thank you…..truly, you saved me and this soup will be in my home forever.
Much gratitude,
Judy
Charlotte, NC
Super easy, fast and delicious soup. Shocking that I didn’t have to add cream, but nope, it was perfect as is. Creamy, silky, rich tasting without it being rich and heavy. For those who found it bland, it is important to season this generously with salt. The biggest mistake home cooks make (and I’m definitely a home cook) is to be afraid to salt.
Just made this. 95 degrees in Chicago 🤷♀️. But had a head of cauliflower and didn’t want to turn oven on to roast. It is FANTASTIC! Lunch for the week in my over air conditioned office.
After all these years, what a great soup! I ended up roasting the cauliflower for 20 minutes and doubled the garlic and onions. But super simple and just delicious! A great soup for lunch or a dinner!
How do you prevent scratching your Dutch ovens when you immersion blend directly in the pot? I did just that, making your other cauliflower soup the other day. I enjoyed it nonetheless.
I may have missed it, but what did you do with the reserved chopped cauliflower stem? Thanks!
Wondering the same thing. Or, are we removing/discarding the leaves and core and roughly chopping the remaining cauliflower?
Hi Deb. I can’t really eat garlic anymore, which is a huge bummer as it’s a major player in most flavorful recipes. I can sometimes do a little powdered garlic, but not fresh. Do you think this would still be good without it? Any substitutes you can think of? Thanks!
While I found the soup altogether, OK. I did find it lacking. I added some lemon juice per others’ comments, which helped, but I still think it needs something else.
This is a great, super easy recipe. Didn’t have onions so used a leek instead and it tasted great.
I did have to add quite a bit of salt throughout, so don’t be shy adding it as you go if you’re using a low sodium broth like I did. I probably added a full tablespoon of kosher salt by the end.
This was incredibly easy, quick and delicious. I put in ever so slightly more parmesan than specified. Served it with the ‘perfect garlic bread’ from Smitten Kitchen and everyone wolfed it and demanded seconds. Will DEFINITELY be making again! Thanks for yet another fab meal, Deb.
I’ve made this silky cauliflower soup several times and my husband loves it even more than I do. Will it work with frozen cauliflower, or is that asking too much?
Made this for the second time today. Really comforting and delicious. First time I made it I found it slightly bland, so this time I added some dried thyme before simmering as well as some freshly grated nutmeg at the end. Was very pleased with the result!
This soup is SO good! I made it with some chicken stock from the freezer leftover from making the Smittenkitchen chicken pot pies a while back. The soup is so great that we’re using it as pasta sauce to make it last longer :-)
This soup is fan-frickin-tastic! I love the simplicity which highlights the cauliflower flavor. My husband, a tuna fanatic, declared this his favorite tuna salad of all time. The smoked almonds are a great touch.
Deb, wondering how this would hold up to freezing? Any experience with freezing and reheating the cauliflower soup????
You are a gem. I slaved Saturday to make a resounding failure dinner for my family and spent all day Sunday depressed about it. It happens, I guess, but it hurts. Funny thing is I don’t think they noticed as they took the leftovers home with them.
Thanks for the cauliflower soup inspiration. I love its simplicity. Dare I say a little half ‘n half wouldn’t hurt? And I do happen to have buttermilk languishing in the back of my frige.
Your devoted fan, Grandma Marti
What was the beautiful accent on top of the soup – do not see it in the recipe? Sautéed cauliflower w paprika or something else?
Thank you.
This is a long time favorite in our house and last night I decided to throw it in the Instant Pot to see what magic might happen… success! I used the saute function on the onion and garlic (5 mins), poured in the stock, and then added the cauliflower. Cooked for 6 minutes on high pressure and it was falling apart. I suspect that I could just quarter the heads of cauliflower (possibly a whole head??) and not have to cut into florets at all, but I had a sad cauliflower head and needed to cut out the unsavory bits :)
Anyway, total success!
it would be nice sometime if you would post the dishes that did not work
we all have them and we can all learn from the mistakes.
I used to do it more often — see here — but I ended up finding the posts not particularly editorially useful. These days I fold failures into successes, which I think is more helpful. So, for example, an article about cacio e pepe, or dutch babies, or onion soup, or apple tarte tatins, will explain what’s been going wrong with all the ones I’ve made before before explaining what works better. It’s a win win.
Love that you put the tuna salad on a Wasa cracker! I thought I was the only one who ate those anymore 😊
I see capers in tbe picture. Did you use them in the recipe? I hope so, yum!
Lovely soup. I added some cheddar cheese, chilli powder, and a tiny 1/4 tsp. of curry powder.
love a good tuna salad! I think I will make this but sneak a little bit of mayo in for the traditionalists out there.
question: did you use capers? i see them in the first photo.
also, i saw this recipe on your ig the other day, but it was kind of hard to find on your website. you might consider changing the title of this post to something like ‘silky cauliflower soup AND Dill-Pepperoncini tuna salad’
Thank you for posting your secret tuna salad to IG last week! For as much as I’ve studied your website I never found this before. It’s the best tuna salad ever! Always a fan of non-mayo versions, but this was fantastic – such a wonderful mix of sharp, complimentary flavors. We eat with pita wedges and mesclun salad greens. I see it as a staple on hot summer days, maybe even over some Israeli couscous.
I made this with roasting the cauliflower for 10 minutes in the air fryer first and it was delicious!! My only complaint was that it was a little too salty for my taste, so next time I will reduce the parmesan and add less salt or make my own low sodium chicken broth to use.
i made this soup for our pre-fast meal on sunday, and it was absolutely delicious! i used a little more onion & garnished with chives, but the cauliflower taste came through perfectly. this soup is a winner & it’s really a great mix and match recipe, too. swap out the cauliflower for another veg & garnish w/another herb like zucchini/dill & it’s my mother’s classic zucchini soup recipe ❤️
I’ve been longing for soup season but every time I think we’re there, the local temps shoot back into the 80s! Today they’re forecast to stay in the low 70s, I have all the ingredients, and to heck with it — cauliflower soup tonight!
Is it possible to make the cauliflower soup with frozen riced cauliflower?
I think so. It would cook fast. You should swap by weight and will probably need a lot.
What do you do with the reserved chopped leaves and core?
Thanks
The core can be used, actually, but it can take longer to cook. I usually toss it in when I roast cauliflower, chopping it. I haven’t used the leaves but I know they’re edible.
Dear Deb,
Please explain this step, “Remove the leaves and thick core from the cauliflower, coarsely chop, and reserve.” Reserve for what? Is this the topping?
Thank you!
I’ve made this twice in the past month and it is easy and delicious–a keeper! The only thing I do differently is double the amount of parmesan because I think it really enhances the flavour.
I needed a soup to take to a convalescing friend. Made the silky cauliflower soup (used Massel veg stock). Easy and delicious.
Regarding the soup, which I have made successfully before. So this batch goes down the sink: I only had a half of cauliflower head so I thought I would use a fennel bulb to round the total amount. I researched that they go well together: NOT. The color and texture was lovely, taste not so much. So this is a word of warning.
i had serious gum surgery yesterday and can only eat liquid-y stuff.
i woke up starving.
a friend had made me the BEST bone broth so i made this soup with it, and as i boiled the cauliflower i added in the rind from a chunk of parmesan. i cooked it wayyyyy more than i would usually, then pulled out the rind and blended it.
i am in HEAVEN. thank you for such an easy and incredible recipe.
(other notes: i didn’t add actual parmesan, and i used a shallot for a half batch of the soup cuz i was out of onions).
Perfect! I have a friend with dental stuff coming up this week and I have been looking for soup options. We have homemade chicken bone broth that I plan to use for this simple recipe. I am happy to hear you enjoyed this soup back in 2021 and I do hope your gum surgery has served you well ~~~~
Smiles,
Dusty
I hope the answer to this isn’t in the comments, and I promise i did scroll through them till my eyes hurt (and read through the recipe 3 times) : what did you garnish the soup with, please? Mushrooms?
Thanks!
Made this tonight with leftover cauliflower in our fridge, old garlic scapes, spring onions and the remnants of a parm block. Sautéed the cauliflower for a bit prior to adding the stock and simmering – definitely took the opportunity to salt and pepper everything at this time, then again after adding the cheese. Did stir in some paprika and served with fresh parsley. This was an easy one to clean out what I had on hand in my fridge and I’d certainly make it again – not a show stopper, but a nice healthy/easy (few ingredient) soothing soup.
For the cauliflower soup, I added salt, pepper, and a little crushed red pepper flakes during with the onions and garlic (doubled, at least), and more salt/pepper when the cauliflower was added. Doubled the cheese and topped it with roasted shiitake mushrooms for a nice textural addition! Really good and definitely not bland if you season as you go :)
If Im allergic to nuts is it not worth making flavor wise??
The tuna? No, there’s a lot else going on. Can you use sunflower seeds?
This soup was delish! I roasted the cauliflower while I sautéed the onion and brought the stock to a simmer, then added the cauliflower. I also added a Parmesan rind which gave a wonderful flavor. Make again for sure!
the cauliflower soup recipe does not say what to do with the reserved chopped core and leaves of the cauliflower. Do these go into the soup to be pureed? The photo shows something that looks like toasted cauliflower on as a garnish. Where is the step describing that addition?
Thank you,
Helen
I love your site and would love to send you one of our favorite recipes (for
Blueberry ‘Cream’ Pie) which goes together (crust and all) in 20 min.
Hello, for the “silky cauliflower soup” recipe you write in the instructions to “Remove the leaves and thick core from the cauliflower, coarsely chop, and reserve.” But it doesn’t say anywhere what to do with the leaves and thick core. Do you add it to the cauliflower florets? I usually throw away the core and leaves but am wondering if it would be good to add to the soup or not. Please advise. Thank you.
Hi! We made this tonight sans the parmesan (I know, I know, just trying to eat more simply for a bit), and it was wonderful. We were flush with purple onions so I was bold and used one of those instead of yellow and it was just fine. I felt pretty clear about not including the thick core and big leaves per your instructions, but I did put them into my freezer bag for vegetable stock to be made later! I am also curious about your garnish on top :). Thank you!
I just made this recipe, and it’s quite delicious. I tweaked it a bit, adding fresh fennel with the onion and garlic, seasoning with citrus pepper, and stirring in a couple tablespoons of cream at the end. I also probably went overboard on the Parmesan.
I love this soup! It is quick and delicious and I like that it is not heavy.
I have been making it in the Insta Pot- suating then cooking on high for 12 minutes with a natural release.
Variations
1. I add mushrooms, the color isn’t as pretty, but it’s a delicious soup.
2. This weekend I added 1 tsp of Gram Masala, I highly recommend.
I like that I can make three different versions of this soup, depending on my mood!`
I was surprised to find that this soup was very bland. I was disappointed. I love cauliflower. Last summer I had blanched and froze a bunch of beautiful homegrown cauliflower. This is the only thing that I did differently when making this recipe; I used my frozen cauliflower instead of fresh. I’m not sure if that was a factor.
My soup ended up tasting quite delicious! I used a blender until the texture was positively silky. It was a bit bland on the front end until I adjusted the salt, which made all the difference in the world. I garnished my bowl with bacon bits, crushed red pepper flakes, parsley, and black pepper, along with a little more Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. Even my husband loved it! High praise, indeed!