Soup to warm the soul
The trusty cauliflower, when made into a warming soup, provides satisfying sustenance for home and hearth, according to Copenhagen food writer Trine Hahnemann.
Cold-climate dwellers really need such satisfaction, or what Scandinavian people call hygge, she writes in her appealing cookbook Scandinavian Comfort Food (Quadrille/Raincoast, $50).
Cook up a batch of this soup, then keep warm with cups or bowls of it served with good bread.
The toppings Hahnemann uses to brighten up each serving: capers, almonds, breadcrumbs and some watercress.
Imaginative seasonings and clever combinations of vegetables distinguish this book, which contains more than 130 recipes.
The author, a chef and food service company president, knows her onions — and uses some of them along with potatoes and garlic to make this easy soup.
Try using chicken stock instead of water for added flavour.
The soup and salad sections of the book are goldmines, and vegetables get top billing throughout. Serves: 4 Trimmings: (optional): 1 tsp (5 mL) butter; 2 tbsp (30 mL) capers;
3/4 cup (180 mL) chopped almonds; bread crumbs, rye bread recommended; leaves of 1 bunch watercress
1. Coarsely chop the cauliflower, potatoes and onion. Heat butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and cook vegetables along with the garlic until they start to sizzle.
2. Add water, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Cover, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Discard bay leaves, add cream and purée mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. (Soup may be cooled, refrigerated for up to one day, then reheated.) Heat soup in the saucepan, adding more water if necessary to get desired consistency.
4. Meanwhile, melt the teaspoon (5 mL) butter in a frying pan and add capers, almonds and bread crumbs. Serve soup in heated bowls, each serving sprinkled with caper mixture and watercress.