Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Caramelized Cauliflower

By Carla

From the Golden Door Spa.

Ingredients

• Soup:
• 2 pounds cauliflower, trimmed
• Olive oil spray
• 1 tsp sugar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
• 1/2 small leek, sliced (1 cup)
• 2 cups skim milk
• 2 cups Chicken stock or store-bought low sodium broth
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 oz Gruyere cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup loosely packed)
• Parsley Oil
• Herb Oil:
• 1 1/2 cups packed fresh herb, basil, parsley, dill, or chives
• 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
• Pinch Kosher salt

Preparation

Step 1

Herb Oil:
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil; prepare a bowl full of ice water.

Plunge the herb leaves or springs into the boiling water for 10 seconds then immediately transfer them to the ice water bath for 2 minutes to stop the cooking. Remove the herbs from the ice water and place them in a clean kitchen towel. Use your hands to squeeze out as much moisture from the herbs as possible.

Coarsely chop the herbs and place them in a blender. Add the oil and salt and blend on high for 1 minute. Place a strainer lined with a double layer of cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. Strain the oil, pressing lightly to extract more from the herbs; let it stand until all the iol has passed through the strainer. Discard the solids.

The herb oil can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. Do not heat the oil, as this will destroy it's delicate flavor and bright green flavor.

Soup:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Chop the cauliflower into enough small florets and stems to equal 2 cups. Coarsely chop the remaining cauliflower and set it aside in a separate bowl. Spray the 2 cups of cauliflower one or two times with the olive oil. Add the sugar and a pinch each of the salt and white pepper. Toss the cauliflower with a fork to coat it with the oil and seasonings. Transfer it to a baking dish and spread the cauliflower in a single layer. Bake, stirring once or twice, until the cauliflower is light golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, spray a large saucepan with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the leek and cook, stirring, until softened and not at all brown, 4 - 5 minutes. Add the coarsely chopped cauliflower, the milk, stock , dry mustard, nutmeg and 1/2 tsp talk and 1/8 tsp white pepper and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes,

Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy, working in batches if necessary. Return the soup to a clean saucepan and reheat it over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until it simmers lightly. Add the Gruyere and stir until it has melted. Remove the pan from the heat.

Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Top each with caramelized cauliflower and drizzle with a little parsley oil. Serve hot.