Snowy Saturday Recipe-Creamy Cauliflower Winter Soup

Ok Ok, so winter is upon us.  There are mounds of snow everywhere.  And they don't seem to be getting any smaller.  After days of shoveling and being cooped up inside, I decided to attempt a soup recipe that was sure to raise my snowy spirits.

This recipe was inspired by a creamy cauliflower soup that I often order for lunch at a restaurant in New York City.  It is hearty and filling, and the perfect comfort food on a winter night.  I decided to try to recreate the flavors of this yummy dish, while adding a few elements of my own. 

I began the soup by cutting up a head of cauliflower into flat segments, so that the pieces would caramelize when browned, adding a nice roasted flavor.

In a large enamel soup pot, I began to saute the cauliflower in olive oil and Italian butter that I found at my local grocery store.  This butter is sweeter than regular butter, and created a complex richness in the soup.  I also added a piece of pancetta that I had been saving in my freezer and browned this along with the cauliflower.  I often try to keep a piece of this handy in order to flavor soups and sauces.

Next, I chopped shallots, onion, and garlic and added them to the pot along with a dash of salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and dried french thyme for flavor.

Once the veggies were softened and browned, I added two boxes of chicken stock, freshly chopped parsley, and about 1/4 cup grated grana padano cheese (parmigiano would work well too).  I allowed this to simmer for a few minutes so that the flavors could become incorporated.

In the meantime, I preheated the oven to 350 degrees, and chopped up bread pieces to use as croutons, tossing them on a cookie sheet with olive oil and rosemary seasoned salt.  

 

On a separate cookie sheet, I spread chopped kale that I drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with steak seasoning, salt, pepper, and smoked spanish paprika.  I wanted the kale to be a smokey and crispy element that would add complexity to the soup.

While these were baking (making sure not to let the kale burn), I removed the pancetta pieces from the soup pot and pureed the soup using my immersion blender.  Once the soup was creamy, I added about two cups of milk, and a little more butter to get a thick but smooth consistency.  Salt and pepper were added as needed.

Next, I made a chili oil to drizzle on top of the finished soup.  I don't keep chili oil in my pantry, so I mixed olive oil with chili pepper, smoked spanish paprika, chipotle seasoning, and a splash of tabasco.  I let this sit for a while so that the dried spices would become incorporated into the olive oil.

When the kale was brown and crispy, I added some slices of imported capicola to the cookie sheet so that I could crisp it and crumble it over the soup.  This would add a smoky crunch that would balance the nutty flavor of the kale and the sweetness of the soup.

Once everything was finished, it was time to assemble the soup!

I put the left over kale and crispy capicola in a little bowl on the side to munch on and add to the soup.  The flavors combined into a perfect balance between sweet, nutty, smoky, and salty.

This is a wonderful soup to make and freeze to have for lunch or dinner.  Just save the crispy kale and croutons in an air tight container to add as a garnish and enjoy!  Yum!