Curry Cauliflower Soup

I've never really cared for cauliflower. I've turned my nose up at it for most of my life. It was only when I had real Indian food that I came to truly appreciate this vegetable. Inspired by the curry and the heat, as well as the dark and rainy weather outside in Portland, I decided tonight to turn a head of cauliflower into a pot of delicious creamed soup.

I used chicken stock in tonight's soup because I had some on hand. To keep the recipe vegetarian, simply substitute this with vegetable broth. I also went heavy on the garlic - 7 large cloves! - for no particular reason than it struck my fancy at the moment. They turned out not to overwhelm the soup, however, and supported the curry and spices quite well. I also used evaporated milk, as I usually do, instead of cream to cut back a little on the fat content.

I began by sauteing in a large stock pot over medium heat,

4 T butter

1 medium onion, chopped

I cooked the onions for about 5 minutes until they became translucent. Then I added:

7 large cloves garlic, chopped

I cooked the garlic for a minute or so and added:

3 T flour

I stirred the flour into the onions and cooked it for a few minutes until it began to brown a bit. Then I added:

1 qt chicken stock

1 qt water

1 c vermouth (or white wine)

1 bay leaf

1 T curry powder

1-1/2 t cardamom

2 t kosher salt

1 t turmeric 

1 t paprika

1/2 t black pepper

1/2 t white pepper

a pinch of saffron

I increased the heat to high to bring the liquid to a simmer. Once the broth began to simmer, I added:

1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into pieces

Setting the heat to low-medium, I covered the pot and allowed the cauliflower to cook through. It took about 20 minutes or so. Once the cauliflower was nice and tender, I creamed it in the blender, working in small batches and being careful to cover the top of the blender. I creamed it until it was smooth and poured the soup back into the pot. I added:

1 12oz can evaporated milk

1 T lemon juice

1 T grated parmesan

I stirred the soup well to incorporate the above ingredients real well. I adjusted the seasonings a bit and that's it! Dinner's served! I ate mine in a mug with a dash of paprika. It could also be served garnished with croutons and/or cilantro.

I love cauliflower!