I have made a cream of broc and cream of cauliflower over the last two weeks and both were quite tasty! Same general procedure for both- Start by sauteeing in olive oil or butter a chopped onion or chopped leek (just the white part and clean it well because it can be sandy) or both, and then add 2 stalks chopped parsley, any fresh herbs you like (I used thyme), one chopped potato, and a head of broccoli (or cauliflower) cut into florettes. Peel the stem, chop it into chunks and throw it in as well. Then salt and pepper all the sauteeing veggies. Once everything is sweating, add a quart of chicken stock or broth (homemade is delish here and probably boosts the flavor a lot). Then- the secret ingredient: a parmesan rind. Sooo good. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 45-60 minutes (covered). Remove the parmesan rind, puree with a stick blender, and then strain through a sieve if desired. I have been quite into straining my pureed soups recently- it makes them quite silky. Taste. If you want it creamier, add a hit of whole milk or cream to taste. Sprinkle some grated parmesan on top if you like. Enjoy! I did the same thing with asparagus and cauliflower, just changing up the seasoning but the whole system seems to work with a variety of veggies. (You could also roast any of these veggies ahead of time and then throw them in to the chicken stock already roasted. Also- (sorry for the long post) - you can season the cauliflower soup with curry (sautee some curry paste in the beginning of the whole process) and then finish it with some coconut milk at the end. Yum.
Anything with roasted, pureed cauliflower is going to be good. In this case, the soup depends in part on the flavor preferences you have. But a great standard recipe is as follows:
Clean and cut into 1-2" pieces a whole head of cauliflower and two medium sized brocolli spears. if adding the Brocolli stems, be sure to peal the lower outer and tougher layer. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a 375 over for 20-30 miuntes until soft. I like mine well roasted and browned, so sometimes it goes even 45 minutes. If you want some edge, you can add a little extra spice ranging from easy like cumin to more aggressiver like curry, cardamom or even cayenne.
Take out a let cool. Add to blender with some chicken or veggie stock and 1 tbsp of butter to desired level of smoothness. The amount of liquid you add depends on your preference, but 2-3 cups shoudl be fine. You can also add plain water as well. Some like it very liquidy, others more firm. When finished, you can add a little cream, 1/2 and 1/2 or yogurt or sour cream for a touch of creaminess.
Oh, I hit submit too soon. I've done variations on this basic method with other vegetables. Just follow the same procedure and add cauliflower to the pot.
We swear by Gordon Ramsay's method of making broccoli soup. This is not a cream soup, but it is amazing. You could make it into a cream soup by adding a half pint of heavy cream. Try it without the cream...it tastes amazing.
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Clean and cut into 1-2" pieces a whole head of cauliflower and two medium sized brocolli spears. if adding the Brocolli stems, be sure to peal the lower outer and tougher layer. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a 375 over for 20-30 miuntes until soft. I like mine well roasted and browned, so sometimes it goes even 45 minutes. If you want some edge, you can add a little extra spice ranging from easy like cumin to more aggressiver like curry, cardamom or even cayenne.
Take out a let cool. Add to blender with some chicken or veggie stock and 1 tbsp of butter to desired level of smoothness. The amount of liquid you add depends on your preference, but 2-3 cups shoudl be fine. You can also add plain water as well. Some like it very liquidy, others more firm. When finished, you can add a little cream, 1/2 and 1/2 or yogurt or sour cream for a touch of creaminess.
Easy Peasy
http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/161419/broccoli-soup-gordon-ramsay