Keep the cauliflower leaves! They can be eaten! Even though you might not have high expectations for a bowl of greens, this soup is savory, delectable, and prehistoric. If preferred, add some parsley and parmesan cheese to each serving.
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 2 hrs 10 mins |
| Total Time: | 2 hrs 25 mins |
| Servings: | 4 |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 5 cups chopped cauliflower stems and leaves
- 1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried minced shallots
- 14 fluid ounces water, or as needed
- 2 tablespoons bacon drippings
- ¾ cup chopped onion
- ½ cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine cauliflower stems and leaves, chicken broth, garlic, and shallots in a 4-quart pot; add enough water to cover the leaves. Cover pot and bring liquid to a simmer.
- Heat bacon drippings in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion in the hot bacon drippings until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add onion to the soup and continue to simmer until stems soften, about 2 hours.
- Pour soup into a blender no more than half full. Cover and hold lid down; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Puree in batches until smooth. Return soup to pot and stir spinach, salt, and pepper into soup; simmer for 5 minutes.
- For a vegan option, substitute olive oil for bacon fat and vegetable broth for chicken broth.
Reviews
Texture was not very pleasant and taste was ok. Could skimp a little on the spinach and add some cream cheese for better flavor. We added some bacon as a topping with the sour cream.
This recipe is genius! I followed instructions exactly, but also added some chopped celery, and roasted the stems, leaves, onions and celery before adding to bacon drippings. Results were delicious. I don’t know if this will appeal to all tastes, however. You must enjoy puréed soups, and love cruciferous veggies. If you do, and are a fan of getting the most from your healthy foods by using every bit, this will not disappoint.
This is a good way to use up the stalks of your cauliflower (or even broccoli would work). I didn’t have bacon drippings so I used lard. I bet that coconut oil would go nicely here too. I’ve made soups out of the stalks before and never really cared for it, but with these ingredients, it works. Thanks for the recipe.