Creamy Cauliflower Soup With Asiago Croutons Food

ASIAGO MASHED CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• Place cauliflower and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Cook, covered, until very tender, 12-15 minutes. Drain; cool slightly., Transfer to a food processor. Add the cream cheese, Asiago cheese, butter, parsley, pepper and remaining sea salt. Process until blended.

CREAMY CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, combine the broth, celery, onion and carrot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add cauliflower; cover and simmer 15-20 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Cool slightly., Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. , In a blender or food processor, process vegetable mixture in batches until smooth; return to pan. Stir in the cream, parsley, salt, dill, pepper and white sauce; heat through.

COLD CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH BACON AND CROUTONS

Steps:

• For the croutons: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle the thyme on top and season with the salt and pepper if using. Toss until coated. Bake until golden and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• For the bacon: On another baking sheet, arrange the bacon in a single layer. Bake until browned and crisp, 15 to 17 minutes. Drain on paper towels. When cool enough to handle, chop into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside.
• For the soup: In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the celery, shallots, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Stir in the chicken broth, thyme and cauliflower. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
• In batches, puree the soup in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cool the soup to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 2 hours.
• Ladle the chilled soup into bowls and garnish with the croutons and bacon.
• Cook's Note: The soup can also be blended using an immersion blender.

CREAMY CAULIFLOWER AND ASIAGO SOUP

Steps:

• Bring chicken broth to a boil in a large pot. Cook cauliflower, white wine, and bay leaves in the boiling broth over medium-high heat until cauliflower is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Mix garlic, cream cheese, and Asiago cheese together in a bowl.
• Strain cauliflower from broth with a slotted spoon and add to the cheese mixture. Remove bay leaves from stock and discard.
• Mash cauliflower and cream cheese mixture with a potato masher until well mixed; season with salt and black pepper.
• Stir cauliflower mixture into the broth until smooth. Season with rosemary, thyme, salt, and black pepper.

CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH CHORIZO AND GARLIC CROUTONS

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion along with a pinch of salt. Cook until soft, about 6 mins, then tip in the cauliflower and half the garlic. Give everything a good stir, then pour in the stock. Cook for 12 mins or until the cauliflower is tender.
• Meanwhile, peel the chorizo, then chop into small pieces. Toast the bread, then tear or cut into crouton-sized pieces. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan, add the chorizo and fry until crisp. Tip in the bread and remaining garlic and cook for a minute or so until everything is nicely coated in the chorizo oils. Set aside.
• Using a stick blender, blitz the soup with the double cream and season to taste. Reheat if necessary, then divide between two bowls. Mix the parsley with the chorizo and croutons, and top generously.

CREAMY CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH ROSEMARY OLIVE OIL

Steps:

• Make the rosemary oil: In a medium skillet, combine the olive oil and rosemary sprigs. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, lowering the heat if the oil reaches a full simmer. (You want to cook it at a very gentle simmer to avoid frying the rosemary.) Carefully pour the oil and rosemary into a small bowl, leaving a slick of oil in the pan if you plan to make croutons. Allow the rosemary to cool completely in the oil while you make the soup.
• Make the soup: In a heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. (Be careful not to let the garlic scorch!)
• Add the stock, cauliflower, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil over high. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the cauliflower is tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the optional croutons: Heat the reserved skillet with the residual rosemary oil over medium. Add the bread cubes, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and cook, tossing often, until toasted all over, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the croutons to a plate or board to cool.
• Strain and discard the rosemary stems from the rosemary oil. Working in batches if necessary, carefully transfer the vegetables, stock and 1/4 cup rosemary oil to a blender and blend on high until creamy. Add more rosemary oil to taste, and blend to combine. Return the soup to the pot and bring to a simmer. If the soup seems thin, let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to reduce slightly. (Remember: The soup will continue to thicken as it cools.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Serve hot. Garnish each serving with a swirl of rosemary oil, a few croutons, and a sprinkle of lemon zest. The soup will thicken as it sits; add more stock as necessary when reheating. Leftover rosemary oil will keep in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

CREAMY CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium pot, combine chicken broth and cauliflower; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until cauliflower is very tender, about 20 minutes. Working in batches, puree cauliflower until smooth (thin it with broth, if necessary).
• Meanwhile, on a small baking sheet toss cauliflower leaves with oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast until brown and tender, about 10 minutes. Serve as garnish on soup.

CREAMY CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH ASIAGO CROUTONS

Steps:

• In a large stock pot heat the olive oil and add the onion and salt. Cover, stirring occasionally until the onions are very soft. Add the white cooking wine and garlic. Increase heat and cook until the liquid is completely evaporated. Add the cauliflower and chicken broth. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the cauliflower is very very tender.
• Meanwhile preheat oven to 415 degrees. Place slices of crusty baguette onto a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with asiago cheese and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese has started to brown slightly around the edges, and the bread is crispy.
• Once the cauliflower is tender use an immersion blender to blend the soup to a creamy consistency. Or alternatively, blend the soup in batches in a blender until smooth. Serve with a crouton on top, and you can sprinkle more asiago cheese on top if you prefer.