Cauliflower Soup Then and Now
How to make cauliflower soup, or not as the case may be…
Cauliflowers are in season in July, if we relied on the ones that I grew then there would be a distinct shortage, thankfully we don’t.
I’ve put cauliflower soup on the dinner menu, I like cauliflower soup, if it’s made well it’s one of those soups which is open to possibilities. We should break free from the restraints of pouring packet mix cheese sauce over cauliflower and treat it with the same respect that gardeners give it because it can be bloody difficult to grow.
Having made a pot of said soup for the benefit of my chefs to see I returned home later to look through some of my old cookery books to see how cauliflower soup was made way back when. Here’s a cut down version of my recipe followed by a cauliflower soup recipe from the book ‘Good Food Throughout the Year’ by Ambrose Heath first published in 1932. My thanks to my brother for buying it for me…
My cauliflower soup: Make a fresh vegetable stock (feel free to use a stock cube like Marco does), pass through a sieve, leave to simmer. Slice raw cauliflower, set aside. Heat olive oil in pan, sweat a chopped white onion until soft, add cauliflower and cook for three to four minutes. Add spice mix of your choice ( la Kama, Ras el Hanout, Berebere, Hawaj etc etc) and cook for another five minutes. Add enough stock to cover the cauliflower, throw in two torn fresh bay leaves and bring to a boil. Simmer for fifteen minutes, puree with a food blender. Return to pan, add cream or not if your diet says otherwise. Season with salt, white pepper and a little nutmeg. Adjust consistency with cream and/or stock. Ladle into bowl, top with some chunks of feta cheese,toasted pine nuts, lemon zest cooked in a little stock syrup until soft and a liberal glug of good olive oil. A dusting of the relevant spice mix adds a nice touch as does some fresh mint or Italian parsley.
If you ever wondered what it was like to live in the 1930’s then you can either ask my father or follow this next recipe…
“Cook a cauliflower in boiling salted water for twenty minutes, then cut in half (?!) Set half aside and keep it warm, and pass the other half through a sieve. Now chop an onion and a stick of celery and fry them for a few minutes in two ounces of butter with a bay leaf. Stir in an ounce of flour, add to this two pints of white stock. Boil a pint of milk and mix it with the cauliflower puree and then add it to the stock.”
Here’s how to finish it: “Season to taste, strain and put in the rest of the flour which you have broken into small pieces (?!!?) Serve with fried toast”
Now call me Mr.Picky but how could you cut a cauliflower in half after it’s been boiled for twenty minutes and then, right at the end you finish the soup with raw flour? That’s not good in any decade, depression, war, credit card crunch, whatever, you don’t boil a vegetable for twenty minutes in salt water as a base for a soup. Period.
Anyway, here’s mine…
Miles
looks superb and thanks for the recipe.
A nice touch going back to old fashioned recipes - makes it very interesting.
I would welcome a pea soup recipe at some point as I’m hoping for a glut of fresh peas
Cheers
Rod
July 24, 2008 @ 8:01 am
Miles,
That looks like class in a soup bowl, I will do my best and give this one a go.
Yesterday I entertained one of my friends and made butternut squash and sweet potato soup in much the same way as you describe. Marco might be put out that I made my own chicken stock… but still you can’t please everyone
While the stock was simmering, I cut the veg including an onion into chunks and poured over a little olive oil and baked them in the oven for about 40 mins. Strained stock, combined everything and blended.
Don’t you just love homemade soup…
Cid
July 24, 2008 @ 8:49 am
Soup looks lovely! I agree there is nothing better than home made soup. Not sure about the thirties recipe. Cutting a cauliflower in half once cooked, as you say, could prove very tricky. Maybe need some tips from the school dinner ladies of old. After all, they were used to cooking veg to the point of mush…..ahh the memories of school cabbage!
July 24, 2008 @ 12:35 pm
Mandy,
Thanks for the compliment and welcome to the site. I have to say that I have less than fond memories of school meals, cabbage as you rightly say, sago pudding and pink custard. Where was Jamie Oliver then?!
Thanks for taking the time to comment, I hope you return again.
Miles
July 24, 2008 @ 12:57 pm
Cid,
You’re soup sounds lovely, homemade soup with real stock, I hope you are appreciated for your efforts.
Miles
July 24, 2008 @ 12:58 pm
Rod,
I’ll sort a recipe out for you, fresh and split peas make fantastic soups.
Miles
July 24, 2008 @ 12:59 pm
Miles,
.
The Nean family loves all types of soups. I have had mixed success with my cauliflower soups, trying different recipes. I will certainly try your recipe. It looks very appetizing. Thank you.
I appreciate the seasonal aspects you bring to the blog. It certainly helps with the menus and shopping lists
Elsie
July 24, 2008 @ 6:47 pm
Elsie,
Have a go at browning the cauliflower first, let it take on the flavour of the brown butter, you will end up with a slightly nutty flavour. Nutmeg is the king of cauliflower seasonings.
Miles
July 24, 2008 @ 9:44 pm
Miles,
Many thanks for the tip. Whilst I always use Nutmeg, I would not have thought of actually browning the cauliflower.
Ras el hanout is on my shopping list. Whether I will find it, is another matter!
I shall be on a mission
Elsie
July 25, 2008 @ 1:25 pm
Miles,
I have tried your recipe at long last today. It really was delicious and I can recommend it. I much prefer it to my cauliflower/parsley version and yours will now be a staple of the Nean kitchen. Also for the first time I used Ras el Hanout - it took long enough to find it. I just love this spice mix. All perfect for a rainy day. Thank you
Elsie
October 30, 2008 @ 2:24 pm
Elsie,
Delighted to hear it! Get some of that ras el hanout on your next lamb dish along with some of those preserved lemons-you’ll never look back
Miles
October 30, 2008 @ 5:38 pm