Author Notes
This is a riff on the classic Portuguese Caldo Verde, a deceptively simple soup of olive oil, potatoes, Linguica sausage, and kale. I got the idea to substitute cauliflower for the potatoes from a mashed-potato alternative of cauliflower, fennel seed, and white beans my father used to make. I roast the cauliflower with smoked paprika and cumin for added depth of flavor. —Chris Hagan
Test Kitchen Notes
WHO: Bogre is new to the cooking game. His style? Hitting the ground running.
WHAT: A deceptively creamy, comforting bowl of soup.
HOW: Roast cauliflower, purée with stock, and do the soup thing.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Where potatoes take up residence in the traditional version of this soup, Bogre ingeniously swaps in roasted -- then puréed -- cauliflower. What you get is a richness that's earthy without being heavy, or, the soup we'd be happy to eat every single day. —The Editors
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Ingredients
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2 pounds
cauliflower florets (from 1 medium head)
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1 teaspoon
ground cumin, or to taste
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1/2 tablespoon
smoked paprika
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2 pinches
salt and pepper, plus more to taste
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2 tablespoons
olive oil, plus extra for roasting
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1
Spanish onion, chopped
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4
large garlic cloves, minced
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1/2 teaspoon
red pepper flakes
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8 cups
chicken stock
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1/2 pound
smoked turkey kielbasa, sliced (Wellshire Farms brand is particularly good)
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1 bunch
mustard greens, shredded
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1/4 cup
parsley, finely chopped
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1/4 cup
cilantro, finely chopped
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1/2
lemon, juiced
Directions
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Preheat oven to 450 F. Toss cauliflower florets with cumin, smoked paprika, and liberal amounts of salt, pepper, and olive oil. Spread in a single layer in a roasting pan or baking dish and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
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Remove florets and set aside. Deglaze the roasting pan with 1 cup of the chicken stock, stirring to scrape up browned bits. Mix in with the remaining stock.
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Sauté the onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-medium high heat until tender and translucent and beginning to brown. Add garlic and pepper flakes and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cauliflower and stock and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about an hour. Remove from heat and purée.
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Return the puréed soup to low heat. Add sausage and cook about 10 minutes. (You can brown the sausage beforehand if you like.) Add the mustard greens and parsley and simmer another 5 to 10 minutes until the greens soften a bit. Remove from heat. Stir in the cilantro and the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with a sprinkle of smoked paprika and a drizzle of olive oil.
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