Roasted Cauliflower Soup with White Truffle Oil
Uh....It has white truffle oil in it. Need we say more?
Roasted Cauliflower Soup with White Truffle Oil
½ onion finely chopped
2 Tbs. olive oil
1½ C. cauliflower florets
5 C. (40 oz.) chicken stock
1 Tbs. smoked salt (Penzey’s in Norwalk sells one and Whole Foods sells a delicious Chardonnay smoked fleur de sel)
cracked black pepper
¼ c. chives for garnish
truffle oil
Directions:
Saute 1 finely chopped onion in a little olive oil in a large stock pot for 4-5 minutes or until onion is slightly golden. Add chicken stock to the pot. Add cauliflower, and let boil until soft (about 12-15 minutes, or until a knife can be inserted easily).
Using either a hand blender or a mixer, puree the soup until smooth. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add in about 3-4 Tablespoons of truffle oil, it is very expensive, but so worth the price as the flavor is dramatic and intense.
The trick to this soup is to let it cook for a couple hours on medium low so the flavors develop.
I made the soup up to this point 1 day in advance. Today I put the pot back on the stove on low heat and added in about 1/2 C of finely dived chives.
Continue cooking on low heat until ready to serve. Garnish with a small drizzle of the truffle oil before serving and a small pinch of fresh chives.
This recipe makes a large pot of soup, but it so delicious and HEALTHY you won't feel bad about having 2 or 3 bowls.
Ask Chef Nicole, Recipe, Soups, comfort food, healthy
Reader Comments (7)
Hi,
My understanding is that most truffle oil sold today is not made with real truffle but with a chemical compound that has an aroma similar to truffle. (And if it doesn't have bits of real truffle in it, why are these truffle oils so expensive?)
Did anyone else read the fascinating article in the New Yorker a month or so ago about the company that develops "natural flavors"?
Elizabeth
I read that article as well. It would appear that most truffle oil is indeed just the essence. That being said, I've had a variety of different truffle oil experiences at restaurants (mostly in Seattle) and some of them seem so true to the actual truffle that I find it hard to believe I'm consuming chemicals. This requires more research.
You mentioned that it is 'Roasted" cauliflower soup. Should you roast the cauliflower before you cook it with the broth?
Ah..Good question Peggy. You have 2 options on this recipe. If you are short on time, you can just follow the directions above. If you like that roasted flavor and have a few extra minutes, you can roast the cauliflower on an aluminum cookie sheet with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 425 for 12-15 minutes. Then cook it in the broth as directed above.
This looks delicious. I'm planning a dinner party for eight and think this would be a perfect first course. I am a little concerned about the proportions if I were to double or triple the recipe, specifically the amount of salt. Any suggestions or modifications would be appreciated.
For 8 people as a first course, you would only need to double the recipe. Simply double the entire recipe. If you need to triple the recipe, I would only double the salt, taste and add more as needed.
It can also be made 1-2 days in advance and reheated the day of the party. It keeps beautifully! Simply garnish with chives and truffle oil before serving.
Also, a thinly sliced piece of baguette drizzled with olive oil, a pinch of black pepper and grated Parmesan cheese then toasted makes a delicious crouton for this soup.
I've got to admit I've never been real fond of cauliflower soup, but the truffle oil might make it interesting.