Cauliflower Soup With Cremini Mushrooms And Walnut Oil Recipes

Steps:

• Melt 1/2stick of the butter in a heavy pot over medium heat. Then add the onions and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots and celery, and then stir and cook for a couple more minutes. Throw in the cauliflower. Then stir it around, cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes.
• Add the parsley, and then add the chicken broth and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Meantime, make a simple white sauce: Melt the remaining 1/2stick butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Then whisk in the flour. Cook for a couple of minutes, and then pour in the milk, whisking to combine. Remove the white sauce from the heat and pour in the half-and-half. Then pour this creamy mixture into the pot. Add 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste, and allow the soup to simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes. The soup will thicken slightly but shouldn't be overly thick. Give it a taste and add more salt if needed.
• Now, this is the fun part: To serve the soup, place the room temperature sour cream in the bottom of a soup tureen (a very large serving bowl). Then add the whole pot of hot soup to the tureen.
• Stir gently to combine, and then serve immediately with warm rolls and an appetite for something wonderful.
• You will love everything about this.

Steps:

• Place a large casserole over medium-high heat. Heat olive oil until it shimmers, and add mushrooms. Season with salt to taste, and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
• Add cauliflower and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil and simmer until cauliflower is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Working in batches, use a blender or food processor to puree soup until very smooth. Return soup to pan, and place over medium heat. Stir in cream, adjust salt and season with pepper to taste.
• To serve, stir soup, or carefully use an immersion blender to blend and froth top of soup. Ladle into warmed bowls and drizzle about 1 1/2 teaspoons walnut oil into each. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Put the cauliflower, potato and onion in a large saucepan with the butter and half of the oil. Gently heat the contents until they start to sizzle, then cover with a lid and sweat over a low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The vegetables should be softened but not coloured.
• Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then pour in the milk and return gently to a boil. This way, there will be no scum forming from the milk. Season to taste then simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Pour in half the cream.
• Blend everything in a food processor or blender, in batches. For an extra creamy texture, push the purée through a sieve with the back of a ladle. Stir in the rest of the cream. (If preparing ahead cool, cover and chill for up to a day.)
• To serve, pick over the mushrooms. Wild mushrooms can be gritty so wash them quickly in a bowl of cold water then drain well and pat dry. Trim the stalks and chop or slice the mushrooms neatly. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and, when very hot, stir fry the mushrooms quickly until nicely browned, seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper as you cook them.
• Reheat the soup until piping hot. Check for seasoning and ladle into warmed bowls. Spoon the mushrooms into the centre and sprinkle lightly with the chives. Italy's elegant, mildly citrussy whites, such as Vernaccia di San Gimignano, or a Chardonnay would suit this rich soup.