Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Brie (Soupe au Chou-Fleur)

This French-style creamy cauliflower soup is vegetarian and very easy to make. The brie on top adds a decadent, elegant touch!

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Cauliflower is one of those vegetables, like brussels sprouts, that has been having quite the comeback. I've always been a fan.

As a child cauliflower was one of the few vegetables I would eat willingly. Albeit usually covered in cheese, but still. I guess I'm sort of doing that again with this soup recipe, huh?

We are going to make a classy creamy cauliflower soup like the French would. So French, in fact, that we are even going to throw a slab of brie on top. Who else would think that up?

And it's going to be the cauliflower-est cauliflower soup you've ever had. So much cauliflower flavor. What's the secret? Water. Read on, friends.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Tips
• FAQs
• Related Recipes
• Recipe

Ingredients

• Cauliflower: You want one large or two small heads of cauliflower, to equal about two pounds. Look for firm heads without blemishes. If there are any small brown spots, just trim them off.
• Water: Yes, water is a key ingredient! Cooking the cauliflower in water makes the water taste like cauliflower and nothing else. I find that chicken stock can dull the flavor of some vegetable soups, and that using vegetable stock can make it taste like a whole different group of vegetables than the ones that are in your soup. To me, vegetable stock has a distinct sweetness to it, so I use water instead.
• Shallots: We are being very French here so let's use shallots and also because they are milder in flavor and won't overpower the cauliflower.
• Dijon mustard: On with the Frenchness! This gives the soup a bit of tang and umami.
• Thyme and bay leaf: Aromatics to give the soup depth.
• Half and half: Since the cauliflower itself will help thicken the soup and we have a hefty, cream-filled brie on top, we're keeping it a weensy bit lighter with the half and half.
• Brie: Choose a good brie from France. American brie has a different consistency and will not melt as well. Believe me, I tried it so you don't have to.

Instructions

Recipe adapted from The French Market: More Recipes from a French Kitchen

Take the brie out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature as you prepare the soup.

Using a good chef's knife, chop the shallots finely.

Chop the cauliflower into small florets. You want them to be pretty small so that they are all submerged under the water once it's added.

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven with a lid over medium heat.

Add the shallots and sauté until they are fragrant and translucent, about 5 minutes. Then add the Dijon mustard and stir to combine.

Add the cauliflower, water, 1 teaspoon of salt, thyme sprigs and bay leaves to the pot. Be careful with the amount of water, you may not need quite as much as I call for in the recipe. You want the cauliflower to be just barely covered. It is going to release more water and shrink as it cooks.

The less water you have, the thicker soup you have. You want a pleasantly thick enough soup to support the slice of brie that is going on top!

Nestle the thyme and bay leaves down into the water, but try to keep the thyme intact, without the leaves going everywhere.

Place a lid on the Dutch oven and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the cauliflower pierces easily with a fork. Remove from heat.

Remove the thyme and bay leaves. If any stray thyme leaves have gotten loose from the stems, try to get them out, but it's not a big deal. Use an immersion blender or a regular blender to blend the soup until it's creamy smooth. (Use caution when putting hot liquids in a blender!)

If you find the soup is overly thick, you can add a little more water, but remember you still have half and half to add.

Stir in the half and half, and salt to taste. Place the creamy cauliflower soup back over medium heat until it's piping hot.

Place a couple of slices of brie on top of each bowl of soup and season with freshly ground black pepper.

Tips

• I love my immersion blender. I have had mine, a Braun, for probably 20 years! I prefer using it as opposed to  a regular blender for hot soups, because you can just blend it right in the pot, and you don't have to worry about the venting and exploding that can sometimes happen with hot liquids in blenders. If you do use a regular blender, be sure to do small amounts at a time, and make sure the vent is open on the top so steam can escape. 
• You want nestle the thyme and bay leaves down into the water, but try to keep the thyme intact, without the leaves going everywhere. Don't submerge them under the cauliflower because you'll need to remove them before blending. 
• This is soup has some body to it, but it's not super thick. Think a little less than potato soup in terms of thickness. 
• To get a thick enough soup to support the delicious slice of brie, use as little water to cook the cauliflower as you can. So it may not be the exact amount I call for here. Start cautiously. You can always add a bit more when blending if you need to. 

FAQs

• How do you add flavor to cauliflower soup? By making it taste as much like cauliflower as possible, and that means using very light aromatic seasonings, and using water as your stock. Cooking the cauliflower in water makes the water taste like cauliflower. Now you have a base that hasn't covered up or lost any of that cauliflower flavor. I find that chicken stock can dull the flavor of some vegetable soups, and that using vegetable stock can make it taste like a whole different group of vegetables than the ones that are in your soup. To me, vegetable stock has a distinct sweetness to it, so I use water instead.

• How do you thicken cauliflower soup? To make this soup nice and thick, blend the cauliflower until it is smooth using as little liquid as possible. The half and half will add some thickness to it, but really it relies on the cauliflower itself for thickening. So don't over do it on the amount of cooking water. You can always add a little more when you're blending if you need it.
• Can you freeze creamy cauliflower soup? Yes, this soup freezes well. Store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month. To reheat, let thaw in the fridge, then bring to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat.

Related Recipes

• Tuscan White Bean Soup with Kale is a classic. It's light yet satisfying and gets loads of umami from a parmigiano rind simmered in the broth.
• When spring approaches, make Soupe au Pistou to clean out your cupboards and get a taste of spring flavors.

Recipe