Basic Vegetable Cream Soup

By Hklbrries

Other vegetables can replace the cauliflower: asparagus, spinach, red bell peppers, tomatoes or more cauliflower. I once made it with red Swiss chard stalks and it was delicious! If you use a fibrous vegetable like asparagus, strain the soup through a sieve after pureeing.

Ingredients

• 1 pound cauliflower
• 1 1/2 pounds broccoli (or one of the other suggestions)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 10 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp tarragon leaves, or herb of your choice
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Heavy cream, optional

Preparation

Step 1

Trim the broccoli and cauliflower and chop coarsely. The core of the cauliflower and the broccoli should be used too. Save a few tiny florets of broccoli to add later.

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sizzle until it smells fragrant. Add the broccoli, cauliflower, stock and salt. Bring to a boil, turn down and cook at a lively simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Puree in batches in a food processor or blender - a blender works best for this - with the mustard and tarragon and the broccoli florets and season to taste. Thin with stock or water if the soup is too thick. Add the cream if desired.