Cauliflower Soup with Marcona Almond and Piquillo Pepper Relish recipe

Cauliflower Soup with Marcona Almond and Piquillo Pepper Relish

by Nancy Oakes
One Star Two Stars Three Stars Four Stars Five Stars read reviews (2)

If you can find it, use orange cauliflower; it won’t change the soup’s flavor but will give it a lovely golden color. Serves eight.

Make-Ahead: Can be completely prepared ahead (may need reheating and a garnish to serve) Quick: Takes 30 minutes or less, start to finish Vegetarian: May contain eggs and dairy ingredients Test Kitchen Guaranteed: All recipes that run in Fine Cooking magazine are thoroughly tested in our test kitchen
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ingredient discovery
Ingredients cauliflower Marcona almonds butter more more
Kosher salt
1-3/4 lb. (6 to 7 cups) cauliflower florets (from 1 medium head)
4 Tbs. unsalted butter
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup Marcona or regular almonds (roasted and salted), finely chopped
1/4 cup jarred piquillo peppers or roasted red peppers, rinsed, seeded, and finely diced
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. thinly sliced fresh mint
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a 4-quart pot over high heat. Add 1 tsp. salt, then add the cauliflower and boil until very tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the cauliflower in a colander set over a large bowl to catch the cooking liquid and let the cauliflower cool slightly.

Working in 2 batches, purée each batch of cauliflower with 2 cups of the cooking liquid and 2 Tbs. of the butter in a blender until very smooth. Season to taste with salt. (The soup can be made up to 4 hours ahead.)

In a small bowl, combine the almonds, peppers, oil, mint, garlic, and pepper flakes Season to taste with salt and pepper. (The relish can be made up to 1 hour ahead.)

When ready to serve, gently reheat the soup over medium-low heat. Garnish each serving with a spoonful of the almond relish.

nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 140; Fat (g): 12; Fat Calories (kcal): 110; Saturated Fat (g): 4.5; Protein (g): 3; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 5; Carbohydrates (g): 7; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 1.5; Sodium (mg): 460; Cholesterol (mg): 15; Fiber (g): 3;
photo: Christopher Hirsheimer; food styling by Melissa Hamilton
From Fine Cooking 102 , pp. 54
October 29, 2009

user reviews

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Star Star Star Star Star by Nanch, 11/23/2011This was bland - REALLY bland.
Star Star Star Star Star by cooks_with_will, 2/19/2010extremely easy and very tasty for the calories. So creamy, it's hard to believe there's no dairy in the recipe. For the leftovers, I added grated sharp cheddar for a different taste. I will definitely make again.
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