Cauliflower (roasted or not), potatoes, miso paste and aromatics create a healthy, satisfying vegetarian soup. Recipe below.
OTHER PEOPLE IMPULSE-BUY SHOES, OR JEWELRY, OR CANDY. Me? Well, just before our Upper Peninsula trip, I bought: a cauliflower. Which I forgot about until a couple of days ago when Terry reminded me of its existence. There it was, that forgotten impulse purchase, lurking in the produce bin, amazingly still white and fresh.
What had I intended to make two weeks back? No idea. But what I wanted to make this week was soup—in particular, something that would be a nice autumn meal on its own.
This recipe fits the bill. It’s very satisfying all on its own, warm, tasty, and comfortable. If you are peckish, serve it with a simple sandwich or some bread and butter or just some nibbles of cheese.
Cauliflower, in fact, is a nice healthy ingredient to build a soup around. It’s loaded with nutrients, high in fiber and a good source of antioxidants.
This soup is flexible too—if you don’t want to turn on the oven, skip roasting the cauliflower and just simmer it in the pot along with all the other vegetables. The miso adds umami and makes it vegetarian, but instead of miso, you can use chicken stock or vegetable stock or straight-up water. You can top the finished soup with a bit of bacon or a drizzle of cream or some nice sharp cheddar. We stirred in some milk, just straight-ahead 2 percent, that gave it a nice creamy roundness.
Cauliflower Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium cauliflower
- olive oil
- 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 or 2 potatoes—same volume as the cauliflower florets—peeled and sliced
- water
- white miso paste—start with 2 tablespoons (or use chicken broth—see Kitchen Notes)
- milk, if desired
- chopped chives for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF. Break/cut up the cauliflower into florets and scatter them on a baking sheet. Use parchment paper or silicone baking sheets for easy cleanup. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons olive oil over them, toss well with your hands, and bake until they are golden and soft, about 30-35 minutes. NOTE: You can also skip roasting the cauliflower and just add the florets to the pot when you add the potatoes and liquid.
- Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the vegetables. In a heavy-bottomed pot, warm another tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the chopped onion until it is soft and translucent, then add in the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the potatoes, 4 cups of water, and 2 tablespoons of the white miso paste. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the potatoes are barely cooked.
- When the cauliflower comes out of the oven, add it to the simmering pot. Stir and simmer another five minutes, until the potatoes are well cooked. At this point, give it a taste. You may want to amp up the umami with a bit more miso paste, but use caution—it’s really salty.
- When you like the flavor, turn off the heat, move the soup off the stove and let it cool for at least 15 minutes. Then puree it in a food processor or blender. Work in batches—don’t try to cram it all in there all at once. Taste again. You may want to add a little milk to give it a more rounded feel, or you may like it this way. To serve, warm it up again and garnish with some finely chopped chives and any other toppings you might like.