Creamy Cauliflower Soup Recipe
Servings: 4
Calories: 314kcal
This French-style creamy cauliflower soup recipe is vegetarian and very easy to make. The brie on top adds a decadent, elegant touch!
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 32 oz cauliflower florets one large head cauliflower or two small ones
- 4 cups water
- 1 small shallot
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¾ cup half and half
- 6 oz brie
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
Instructions
- Take the brie out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature as you prepare the soup.
- 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. Don't submerge the thyme and bay leaves under the cauliflower because you'll need to remove them before blending. 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
- Recipe adapted from The French Market: More Recipes from a French Kitchen
- 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.
- Be sure to check out the post above for info about choosing ingredients and FAQs.
Nutrition
Calories: 314kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 963mg | Potassium: 833mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 639IU | Vitamin C: 112mg | Calcium: 192mg | Iron: 1mg