Califlower Soup

I have a couple of vegetarian friends out there and this recipe was given to me by one of them. I tried it, it's delicious! It was smooth and creamy while avoiding using the cream: a delicious cauliflower soup. My son even loved to eat it, and he barely eats anything. Cauliflower, of course, has a very distinctive flavor to it. When just undercooked, it tastes slightly grassy, while the more cooked version of this vegetable is sweeter, even perhaps a bit nutty. To get both of these great flavors in the soup, we cooked some of the cauliflower in seasoned water, then added more cauliflower later.


Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower (about 2lbs)
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces
• 1 leek, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced thin, and washed thoroughly
• 1 small onion, halved and sliced thin
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 5 cups water
• 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Directions

1. Pull off the outer leaves of the cauliflower and trim the stem. Use a paring knife to cut around the core to remove. Slice the core thinly and reserve. Cut 1 heaping cup of 1/2" florets from the head of the cauliflower and set aside. Cut the remaining cauliflower crosswise into 1/2" thick slices.
2. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the leek, onion, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, stirring frequently until the leek and onion are softened (about 7 minutes). Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds to a minute, or until garlic is fragrant.
3. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the water, bay leaf, thyme, sliced core from the cauliflower, and half of the sliced cauliflower. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add the remaining sliced cauliflower, return to a simmer, and continue to cook until the cauliflower is tender (another 15 to 20 minutes).
4. While the soup simmers, melt the remaining 5 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the reserved florets and cook, stirring frequently, until the florets are a nice golden brown (about 6 to 8 minutes). Remove the skillet from the heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer the florets to a small bowl. Toss the florets with the sherry vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the butter from the skillet into a small bowl and reserve.
5. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Process the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth (about 45 seconds). Rinse out the pan. Return the pureed soup to the pan and return to a simmer over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, garnishing with browned florets, and drizzle with browned butter and chives. Enjoy!