Cauliflower Soup

Cauliflower soup is a traditional Norwegian recipe that you will find in most Norwegian cookbooks. It is usually made with lots of cream, butter, eggs and flour but I have omitted all of these to make a healthier version of this heavy soup. The result is a creamy, savory chowder laden with fresh vegetables that makes you feel good after eating it.

This recipe was inspired by two different recipes, and is a bit of a cross between the two. The original recipes can be found in "Authentic Norwegian Cooking" by Astrid Karlsen Scott, and "Norwegian Cooking for Everyone" by Bjarne Håkon Hanssen.

Makes: 4 servings (8 cups)

Preparation time: 10m
Cooking time: 10m
Total time: 40m

Ingredients:

  • 1 potato (about 3/4lb or 340 grams)
  • 1 leek
  • 1 cauliflower head (greens removed)
  • 1 carrot
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper (freshly ground)
  • fresh parsley (for garnish)
  • ground nutmeg (for garnish)
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt (e.g. kosher salt)

Equipment: 4qt saucepan, blender

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Instructions:

  1. Chop the potato and place it into the saucepan with the vegetable stock and the salt. Cover and bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, chop the dark greens and root off the leek and discard, then slice the remaining white part into rounds and place them into a bowl filled with water. Using your fingers push in the center of the rounds to separate all of the layers. This allows the dirt to fall to the bottom of the bowl while the leeks float on top. Remove the leeks by scooping them from the top of the bowl, then discard the water and dirt left behind.
  3. Chop the cauliflower, carrot and celery into bite-sized pieces.
  4. Add the leek, cauliflower, carrot, celery, and white pepper to the saucepan with the potatoes and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes
  5. Using a slotted spoon scoop out about 1/2 of the cauliflower and set aside. Don’t worry if some of the leeks come out too, but try to leave the carrots behind
  6. Puree the remaining vegetables using either an immersion blender or a regular blender. An immersion blender makes this process a little easier because you can do it right in the same pot but a regular blender works just as well. Puree until smooth, then add the cauliflower chunks back in.
  7. Divide into bowls and garnish with parsley and a dash of nutmeg.