Ingredients (~4 servings)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1 leek (white part only), cleaned and sliced
- 1 medium head of cauliflower (about 1.5 lbs), cut into florets
- 3 cups (750ml) low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/3 cup (80ml) heavy cream
- 1 large egg yolk
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Fresh chervil or parsley, for garnish
Aromatics Sauté
Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the shallot and leek, and sauté for 3-5 minutes or until softened and fragrant.
Simmering the Soup
Add the cauliflower florets and chicken stock (or vegetable stock) to the pot, stirring to combine.
Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes or until very tender.
Blending the Soup
Use an immersion blender to purée the soup directly in the pot until smooth and creamy.
If using a traditional countertop blender, portion the soup into batches and process in a blender before returning to the pot.
Tempering the Cream and Egg
In a small bowl, whisk the cream and egg yolk together (this is called a liaison and provides additional richness and velvety texture to the soup).
Slowly pour about 1 cup of hot soup into the cream and egg mixture while whisking continuously to slowly raise the temperature of the egg yolk without cooking it.
Finishing the Soup
Pour the tempered cream mixture back into the pot or Dutch oven.
Heat the soup over low heat while stirring until thickened slightly.
Do not boil.
Season with salt and pepper as desired.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with chervil or parsley.
Cream of Cauliflower Soup (Crème du Barry)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot diced
- 1 leek white part only, cleaned and sliced
- 1 medium head of cauliflower about 1.5 lbs, cut into florets
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock 750ml
- 1/3 cup heavy cream 80ml
- 1 large egg yolk
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Fresh chervil or parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add shallot and leek, sauté 3-5 minutes until soft.
- Add cauliflower and stock. Bring to simmer, cover and cook 20-25 minutes until cauliflower is tender.
- Blend soup until smooth using immersion blender.
- Whisk heavy cream and egg yolk in small bowl. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup to temper.
- Pour tempered mixture back into pot. Heat on low, stirring until thickened. Do not boil.
- Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with fresh herbs.
