roasted cauliflower and almond soup

Growing up, cauliflower came in frozen bricks and was cooked by steaming the brick in a little bit of salted water. Believe it or not, I liked it. But we had no idea of how versatile cauliflower could be. And if taste alone isn’t enough of a reason to run out and buy a head or two, it’s also a super healthy, nutritional powerhouse.

While we’re talking cauliflower, do try my Whole Roasted Cauliflower Supreme with Two Sauces for a company-worthy vegetarian meal. Or, for a side that you’ll be totally addicted to, try my Cauliflower Kugel. This, by the way, is no potato kugel substitute. It’s a glorious dish that stands on its own merit.

This delicious soup is just one of the many fabulous things you can do with a cauliflower. The almond flour is what makes it creamy, and not only does the flavor melds well with the cauliflower, it also add a hefty amount of protein, which makes it a great main course for a light lunch, as well as a lovely starter to any meal. I recommend garnishing the soup with some coarsely chopped marcona almonds. Why marcona and not some other almonds? This special variety from Spain has a flavor and texture like none other. If you like almonds, you’ll adore these. You can find them at Costco, Trader Joe’s, your local supermarket, or here.

Serve the roasted cauliflower and almond soup with your favorite crusty bread, or with challah for an elegant Shabbat soup course—I’m making it this week for parasha Korach, in which only Aaron’s rod blooms, with buds, flowers, and ripe almonds.

Ingredients:

• A glug of extra virgin olive oil

• 1 whole cauliflower cut into pieces

• 2 tablespoons sweet butter, or more olive oil

• 1 onion, diced

• 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, chopped

• 2 bay leaves

• A sprig or two of fresh rosemary

• A few gratings of nutmeg

• 1 quart chicken stock or no-chicken stock (you can use vegetable stock if it’s light in color)

• 1 cup almond flour

• Kosher salt and white pepper to taste

• Optional: a handful of marcona almonds for garnish

• Optional: A swirl of truffle oil for garnish

• Optional: chopped scallions for garnish

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 375°

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the cauliflower pieces to the pan and drizzle them with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Use your hands to massage the cauliflower, making sure that all of it is well-coated with the oil, but not swimming in it.

• Slide the pan into the oven and roast for about 30 minutes. The cauliflower should be browned in places, and soft—don’t worry if it’s not completely soft, as it will cook more in the stock.

• In a medium stock pot, melt the butter (or warm the oil). Add the onion and celery and sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, but not browned.

• Add the garlic and sauté for another minute or two.

• Pour the stock into the pot and add the roasted cauliflower along with the bay leaves, the almond flour, the rosemary, and a bit of (preferably) freshly grated nutmeg. You can hold back a few nice looking flowerets for garnish, if you like.

• Bring to a simmer and taste. Whether or not you’ll need more salt is dependent upon the saltiness of your stock.

• Gently simmer the soup, covered, for about 20 minutes. Then remove the pot from the heat and discard the bay leaves and the rosemary sprigs.

• Use an immersion blender to purée the soup, or transfer it to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Add white pepper to taste and keep warm until ready to serve.

• Ladle into bowls and finish with your favorite garnishes—a swirl of truffle oil, a tiny grating of nutmeg, a cauliflower floweret, some scallion snippets, and a few marcona almonds.