Paul Bertolli's Cauliflower Soup

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Genius Recipes says: This soup might seem plain, but trust us. Paul Bertolli, who was at the helm of Chez Panisse and Oliveto for over 20 years, knows exactly how to make a vegetable become the best it can be. This recipe comes from Cooking by Hand, Bertolli's IACP award-winning book of recipes and essays, and makes for a soup that's delicate, sweet, and smooth as a flannel scarf.

Serves 8

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion (6 ounces), sliced thin
  • 1 head very fresh cauliflower (about 1-1/2 pounds), broken into florets
  • Salt, to taste
  • 5 1/2 cups water, divided
  • Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  1. Warm the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Sweat the onion in the olive oil over low heat without letting it brown for 15 minutes.
  2. Add the cauliflower, salt to taste, and 1/2 cup water. Raise the heat slightly, cover the pot tightly and stew the cauliflower for 15 to 18 minutes, or until tender. Then add another 4 1/2 cups hot water, bring to a low simmer and cook an additional 20 minutes uncovered.
  3. Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender to a very smooth, creamy consistency. Let the soup stand for 20 minutes. In this time it will thicken slightly.
  4. Thin the soup with 1/2 cup hot water. Reheat the soup. Serve hot, drizzled with a thin stream of extra-virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper.

Comments (125) Questions (7)

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7 days ago Patty123

The purity of this soup is amazing, I just love it! I pass this recipe to all I know and they love it too.

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13 days ago tatiana131

It's a very good soup, although I'm not AS enthralled with it as some are. I'd call it a 4/5, not a full on hall of fame soup. To me it has a lovely mild creamy flavor enlivened with sriracha. It was comforting and lovely, but not earthshaking.

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17 days ago sheimoon

i don't have room for blender and food processor. used the latter, which is what i have, alternating pulse and whizz. the texture came out beautifully smooth. plus -- no batches! fit perfectly into my 3200 cuisinart. followed recipe to a T.

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28 days ago Noni G

Noni
This soup is incredible. I really like the way it turned out. I had some left over roasted cauliflower and used half chicken broth and half water. It is delicious and thanks so much. I am a soup freak and I will be making this often.
One really interesting idea I have is to add it over potatoes or some sort of meat as a gravy.

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about 1 month ago nutsnberriesteri

Soups are one of my favorite foods, and this recipe did not disappoint. It was actually rather jaw-dropping that such a creamy, round, smooth soup had NO dairy, is low calorie, inexpensive, and YUMMY!! I did use chicken broth and it was perfect. Thank you!

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about 1 month ago Rabia Syed

WOW! I had my doubts before I decided to try this recipe, but it was amazing! I dressed it with roasted mushrooms.

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about 1 month ago nogaga

I have just made this again, and again it is mystifying and delicious!

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about 1 month ago riv

Try this with a drizzle of sriracha-yum!

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about 1 month ago ChristyBean

Another home run with the Genius Recipes!

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about 1 month ago KellyBcooks

Absolutely delicious! Easy. Simple. Wonderful, soft flavors. Thank you so much! It is now in the rotation.

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about 1 month ago DjeenDjeen

The beautiful simplicity of this soup is mind blowing. Who knew that cauliflower could taste so creamy and rich. Amazing.

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about 1 month ago KarenO

Totally delicious. Only one person guessed it was cauliflower soup. Sprinkled some smoked paprika on top and drizzled with truffle oil. Yummy!

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about 1 month ago amyjoy007

I absolutely loved this recipe. I followed others suggestions and used vegetable stock instead of the water and also added a dash of red pepper for a touch of heat. Simple easy and low calorie!

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2 months ago kvickers

I made this last night using Better than Bullion vegetable base in place of the water. It was truly as delicious as I had hoped.

At first I puree'd the soup in my food processor. The flavor was ok, but nothing spectacular. Then, in an attempt to get a creamy consistancy I pureed it in my blender. This made a HUGE difference and took it from "meh" to magical.

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2 months ago buddhawasahindu

I used all chix stock. This was hands down a crowd favorite. I am going to make a double batch of this next time.

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2 months ago noahluck

Very mild flavor, but pleasantly creamy texture. If you like stronger flavors you'll want to add additional spice early on. Serve it HOT. The crowd loved it and it disappeared fast.

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3 months ago Pegan

I used only 1T oil cooking the onion, since I am following the PCRM low-fat vegan diet. It didn't need more, and tasted buttery, creamy and delicious. Yum! Thanks so much for this amazing recipe.

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3 months ago Burf

I just went and bought another head of cauliflower. With tears in my eyes, I gave it a hug and whispered "I never knew. Honestly, I just never knew." This is fantastic. I let it go a little too long and it browned. Definitely not a problem.

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3 months ago Park Ranger

I second what Sandy said below. I was utterly surprised by the creamy texture of this soup. I too added a garlic clove to the onions and one cup of vegetable stock.

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3 months ago Park Ranger

The following day I added canned chopped clams, crap meat, chives, and a small amount of bacon to the leftover soup. It was quite hardy!

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3 months ago carswell

I've made this twice now - and turned two friends on to the recipe. It really is fantastic.