A Blustery Day Calls for Soup

"The last time I saw her was red. The sky was like soup, boiling and stirring. In some places it was burned. There were black crumbs and pepper, streaked across the redness."   ~The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

It's mid-May, but today seemed more like a day during mid-March. Although the temperature was in the high 60s, the wind was wicked. The fruit trees that were planted yesterday seemed to look at me with sadness as they whipped in the wind. Had they been laden with fruit, they surely would have snapped in a million pieces.

I spent quite a bit of time weeding and cultivating the garden, trying to beat the storms that are supposed to appear tomorrow. The beans are not doing well at this point. We definitely need some warmer weather. After being pummeled by wind for several hours, I decided that dinner had to be comforting, and there is nothing more comforting than soup.

I can no longer recall where I found the recipe for Cauliflower Soup, but I have not found a better recipe than the one that will follow. This version of Cauliflower Soup reminds me of the thick, creamy soups I had in Ireland. Soups that were blended rather than chunky, with all of the ingredients and flavors melding together in an unexpected harmony. I had the pleasure of eating a potato and leek soup in Blarney that was just this kind of soup. Since I was preparing a creamy, Cauliflower Soup reminiscent of Ireland, it seemed appropriate for me to bake Irish Soda Bread to accompany the soup. 

For Irish Soda Bread, you will need 4 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 3/4 cups buttermilk. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees, and lightly grease a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the middle of the flour and pour in all but 1/2 cup of the buttermilk.

Stir in the buttermilk with a spoon and then begin to mix with your hands. If the dough is too dry, add in the remaining buttermilk.  You want the dough to be soft but not sticky. Dust a surface with flour and knead the dough briefly. 

Form the dough into a disk, place on the baking sheet, and score the top with a sharp knife. Place the bread in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. When you rap on the bottom of the loaf, it should sound hollow.

Let the bread cool for five to ten minutes. Irish Soda Bread is best served warm...slathered in butter, of course.

Finished Irish Soda Bread

For Cauliflower Soup you will need 3 slices of bacon; a half of a large onion, chopped; 2 celery stalks, chopped; 2 cloves of minced garlic, 4 cups of chicken broth, 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into 1 inch pieces; a 1 inch chunk of quality Romano cheese; 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream; salt and pepper to taste.  I have used prosciutto instead of bacon, and the flavor is just as great. You could also leave out the bacon and replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth for a vegetarian version of the soup.

In a large saucepan or dutch oven, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Add the garlic, celery, and onions. Cover the pot and cook until the veggies are soft, stirring occasionally. The goal is to "sweat" the vegetables, rather than brown them. Make sure to leave the bacon in the pot.

Add the cauliflower, the broth, the chunk of Romano cheese, and bring the pot to a boil. Once the pot is boiling, reduce to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the cauliflower is soft.

Once the cauliflower is soft, ladle the soup into a blender, and puree.  You will need to do this in three to four batches.  I transfer each batch into a bowl. 

Once all of the soup is blended, transfer it back into the same pot you cooked it in.  Add salt and pepper to taste, and stir in the heavy whipping cream. Bring back to a simmer.  If the soup is too thick for your taste, you can add a bit of broth. 

After ladling the soup into bowls, I top it with a drizzle of white truffle olive oil and shavings of Romano cheese. 

The Irish Soda Bread is perfect for dunking!

Recipe Card

Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients
3 slices of bacon (leave out for a vegetarian version)
Half of a large onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups of chicken broth, or vegetable broth
1 large head of cauliflower, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 inch chunk of Roman cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1.  In a large saucepan or dutch oven, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Add the garlic, celery, and onions. Cover the pot and cook until the veggies are soft, stirring occasionally. The goal is to "sweat" the vegetables, rather than brown them. Make sure to leave the bacon in the pot.
2.  In a large saucepan or dutch oven, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Add the garlic, celery, and onions. Cover the pot and cook until the veggies are soft, stirring occasionally. The goal is to "sweat" the vegetables, rather than brown them. Make sure to leave the bacon in the pot.
3.  Add the cauliflower, the broth, the chunk of Romano cheese, and bring the pot to a boil. Once the pot is boiling, reduce to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the cauliflower is soft.
4.  Once the cauliflower is soft, ladle the soup into a blender, and puree.  You will need to do this in three to four batches.  Transfer each batch into a bowl.
5.  Once all of the soup is blended, transfer it back into the same pot you cooked it in.  Add salt and pepper to taste, and stir in the heavy whipping cream. Bring back to a simmer.  If the soup is too thick for your taste, you can add a bit of broth.
6.  After ladling the soup into bowls, top it with a drizzle of white truffle olive oil and shavings of Romano cheese.