Cauliflower-Cashew Soup With Crispy Buckwheat

By GadgetGirl

Simmering vegetables in a covered pot over low heat so that they steam in their own liquid—a French technique called à l'étouffée—is the ticket to achieving a soup with pronounced depth. We love this method with cauliflower, but also try it with celeriac or rutabagas.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
• 4 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 large head of cauliflower, cored, cut into small florets, stem chopped, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. cashews
• 6 cups (or more) vegetable stock, preferably homemade
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons buckwheat groats
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from bonappetit.com

Preparation

Step 1

Heat ¼ cup oil in a large heavy pot over medium. Add shallots, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme; season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are translucent, 6–8 minutes.
Add wine, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Set ¾ cup cauliflower aside; add the rest to pot along with cayenne and ¾ cup cashews; season with salt.
Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and cook, shaking pot occasionally, until cauliflower is fork-tender and vegetables have released all their water, 20–25 minutes (check occasionally to make sure vegetables are not browning; reduce heat if they are).
Add stock and season with salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until cauliflower is falling apart, 20–25 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, finely chop reserved ¾ cup cauliflower and remaining 2 Tbsp. cashews. Heat remaining ¼ cup oil in a small skillet over medium. Add cauliflower, cashews, and buckwheat; season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until cauliflower and cashews are golden brown and buckwheat is browned and crisp, 5–8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and paprika. Let cool slightly.
Working in batches if needed, purée soup in a blender until very smooth. Return to pot and reheat over medium-low, stirring and adding more stock to thin if needed (soup should be the consistency of heavy cream). Taste and season soup again if needed.
Serve soup topped with toasted cauliflower-buckwheat mixture.
Do Ahead: Soup can be made 2 days ahead (or 1 month if frozen). Let cool; transfer to airtight containers and chill.