This soup runs hot and cold: Roasted Cauliflower and Potato Soup

Deceptively creamy despite the lack of dairy or butterfat, this deliciously mild-flavored soup can be served hot or cold. Recipe below.

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]T[/su_dropcap]he weather is being very neurotic. It’s June, but today it feels like… April maybe? We’ve had some days of near-90s, but that never sticks. The temperature keeps slinking back down.

I am fine with that, as it happens. Last night we slept under a blanket, with the windows open, and that was a real treat for June.

So hand in hand with the still coolish days and nights, we are still open to things that are warming and comfy. So the other day, when I had lunch with some of my colleagues at a newish place across from my office, Table 222, I was happy to discover one of their daily specials, a cauliflower-potato soup. It knocked my socks off! Table 222’s version is vegan, and delightful, but I wasn’t happy with any of my own subsequent experiments along those lines.

The approach you see here depends on chicken stock and just a few other ingredients. It’s simple and direct, and when you get to the finish, you will be surprised—a delicate and pleasing taste, and a texture that is creamy and rich, despite the complete absence of butterfat or dairy.

You’ll be glad to have this soup in your arsenal. And it’s equally delicious served hot or cold—a bonus, given the neurotic weather.

Roasted Cauliflower and Potato Soup
Serves 3 to 4

1 smallish cauliflower, a little over 2 pounds
olive oil—use a mild extra-virgin oil, not one of those precious ones with a big flavor
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 clove garlic, minced
potatoes, half the weight of the cored cauliflower, peeled and cut into small, uniform pieces
4 cups homemade chicken stock (or store-bought reduced-sodium broth)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
finely chopped chives

Core the cauliflower, cut it into small pieces, thoroughly toss with olive oil and arrange on an oiled baking pan. I used a hotel pan that is about 12×17 inches. Roast until lightly browned and fork-tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, sauté the shallots in oil in a big heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven over medium flame, for a minute or two, just until they are translucent. Then toss in the garlic and sauté that for another 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the potatoes and the stock. If the cauliflower hasn’t come out of the oven yet, turn off the heat under the pot.

When the cauliflower is nicely tender and starting to turn golden, take it out of the oven and put it straight into the soup pot with the other ingredients. Stir, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are completely soft.

Next, let the soup cool slightly, then purée it in a blender, in batches, or use your immersion blender. The goal is a soup that is very smooth and uniform. Gently reheat it, salt to taste, add pepper if you like pepper. Serve in shallow soup bowls, scatter on some chives and there you are.