cauliflower soup with roquefort

When Michael and I go out for our day-long walks in and around Boston during the cold months, we always crave warm soup. There's something about the velvety texture and the warmth that makes soups and stews so appealing right now.

Since vegetables are so hearty during the fall, they allow us to slow cook them, developing more robust flavors with the addition of cheeses, stock and olive oil. So, I thought about cauliflower soup.

A member of the cabbage family which is composed of bunches of tiny florets on clusters of stalk, cauliflower may be white, green or purple. The entire floret portion is edible, so are the green leaves at the base.

I got the idea of a cauliflower soup from Heidi Swanson, a great photographer and blogger from San Francisco. I did some changes though. Instead of 4 cups of chicken stock (or vegetable stock), I only used 3 and added 1 cup of white wine. I used Roquefort instead of Gorgonzola. I also used a chinois to strain the soup to make it even silkier.

cauliflower soup with roquefort:

• 1 cauliflower
• 1 Tbsp butter
  
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
  
• 3 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
  
• 1 cup of white wine, such as sauvignon blanc
  
• 1/3 cup roquefort cheese (or any other blue cheese)
  
• 1/3 cup creme fraiche (or sour cream)
  
• parsley for garnish
  

Remove and discard the outer leaves from the cauliflower. Chop the florets and the stalk into small pieces. Set aside. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and sweat for 5 minutes until translucent.

Add the cauliflower, thyme and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in stock and wine, stir and bring to a simmer. Then cover and simmer for 20 minutes or so, until the cauliflower is soft.

Crumble the cheese and stir over a low heat to melt into the soup. Add the creme fraiche and stir to combine.

Pick out the thyme sprigs and the bay leaves, then blend the soup in a blender until smooth.

Return the soup to the pot. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley. Serves 4