Creamy Cauliflower-Garlic Soup

Hey Jude's Note:

I love cauliflower and I love garlic so this was a no-brainer for me when I found it in the 12/2004 issue of Sunset magazine. The roast garlic gives this soup a wonderful, mellow flavor. This makes a large amount of soup so it's perfect for a dinner party or holiday meal.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 25 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 10 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 10-12

Yield: 3.0 quarts

• 1 head garlic, unpeeled (2 1/2 oz.)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 heads cauliflower (about 4 1/2 lbs. total)
• 2 quarts low-fat chicken broth
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• salt, to taste
• fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh chives

Directions:

1. With a sharp knife, cut top 1/2 off garlic head (off the pointy part of the head). Set garlic on a sheet of foil and top with butter. Gather sides of foil up and pinch together to form a loose, sealed pouch.
2. Bake garlic in a 400° oven until garlic is soft when pressed, 45 to 50 minutes. Unwrap and let stand until cool enough to handle.
3. Meanwhile, cut cauliflower heads into 1-inch florets, discard leaves and stems. In a 4 to 5-quart pan, combine cauliflower and broth. Cover, bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is very tender when pierced, 12 to 15 minutes.
4. Squeeze garlic cloves from papery skins into pan with cauliflower and broth; pour in cream. Working in batches, transfer to a blender and whirl until smooth (I use an immersion blender at this point). Return soup to pan and add the nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.
5. Set pan over medium-low heat and stir occasionally until hot. Pour into a large bowl or tureen and sprinkle with chives.

Reviews

[Kater]

I made this soup for PAC Fall '06. I halved the recipe since it was just for my family. I bought one huge head of cauliflower but when I got it all cut up and put in the 1 quart of chicken broth, there was so much more cauliflower than broth that I added the 2nd quart. In retrospect, it probably would have been fine with just one quart - the cauliflower would have steamed instead of boiled. As it turned out, the soup was very thin. I ended up adding about a cup of mashed potato flakes just to thicken it up a bit. I used a whole head of roasted garlic because I love the flavor. At first, I thought the soup was a little bland but after more tastes I realized that the flavor wasn't bland, it's just very delicate. We're so used to eating food with strong flavors that my taste buds had to adjust. I could definitely taste the cauliflower and the hint of sweetness from the roasted garlic. I wouldn't consider this soup a main course, but it would be a very lovely way to start a multi-course dinner. It's not overpowering, or too rich and heavy - just very soft and delicate. And it's definitely easy to make!