Curried Cauliflower Soup with Bacon-Cashew Gremolata
For this Curried Cauliflower Soup, fresh cauliflower is sautéed with onion and spices, finished in chicken stock, then puréed with a bit of milk and topped with a colorful, crunchy mixture of bacon, cashews, cilantro and lemon zest. Scrumptious - and beautiful, too!
Servings: 4 servings; can easily be doubled
Calories: 215kcal
Ingredients
See gluten-free adaptations in the Notes section at the bottom of the recipe.
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup yellow onion around 1/2 medium, chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 3 cups cauliflower 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces, chopped
- 1 cup russet potato thinly sliced, peeled (around 1 medium)
- 1/2 cup apple peeled, cored and chopped apple (around 1/2; Granny Smith works well)
- 2 cups chicken broth or stock
- 1 cup milk whole or 2%
- 1 slice bacon
- 1/4 cup roasted cashews finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons cilantro finely chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
- Kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- In a medium stockpot, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 3 minutes. Lower the heat and stir in the ginger, curry powder and turmeric. Add the chopped cauliflower and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Stir in the potato, apple and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to simmer and cook until the cauliflower and potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the milk. Set aside to cool a bit.
- While the soup is cooling, make the gremolata: Cook bacon until crisp. Crumble and place in a small bowl. Stir in cashews, cilantro and lemon zest. Set aside.
- Purée the cooled soup in an electric mixer or with an immersion blender until smooth. Return to the stockpot and heat over low heat just until warm. Season to taste with salt (takes a fair amount - close to 1 teaspoon). Ladle into bowls and top with a spoonful of the gremolata.
Notes
Make ahead: Soup can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance, covered and refrigerated. Re-warm over low heat. Gremolata can be prepared up to 3 hours before serving.
Gluten free: Make sure to use gluten free chicken broth or stock.
Nutrition
Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 523mg | Potassium: 619mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 131IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 2mg