White Velvet Soup

This soup will make you question why you don’t have more cauliflower in your life. Cauliflower is such an under appreciated vegetable, but it has so much going for it. It can be pureed into a smooth velvety texture, it doesn’t have much taste so it acts like a sponge for other flavours, it’s very versatile, it can be used to thicken sauces or soups and it’s really good for you. People use cauliflower in all kinds of different ways like cauliflower rice, or as a pizza crust and my favourite, fotatoes!

When I had nourish soupworks, this was one of the most popular soups. I also loved making it because, it was so easy. It’s about 10 minutes worth of chopping, 20 minutes of simmering and 10 minutes to puree.

A couple things to keep in mind when making this soup is DO NOT ADD TOO MUCH WATER when you are simmering the cauliflower, or your soup will be watery. You want to put only enough water into the pot to cover the cauliflower. As it cooks I stir and smash down the cauliflower into the liquid. Also, make sure to cook the cauliflower until it is very soft. This will give your soup a nice velvety texture. Lastly, add the truffle oil at the end when the soup is done cooking. I find truffle oil losses its flavour if you cook it at high temperature.

White Velvet Soup, 6 servings, takes about 40 minutes

• 1 large head cauliflower
• 1 white medium onion
• 250 grams of bacon, I use Harvest, do not use a flavoured bacon like Maple
• ¼ cup black truffle oil, olive oil-based, I get mine from Blue Door in Calgary
• 3 Tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Chicken paste, https://www.betterthanbouillon.com
• 2- 4 tsp pepper (I enjoy lots of pepper)
• Salt at the end to taste

On a cutting board chop bacon about 1” thick. Heat a 4 quart (or medium-sized) saucepan on high and add the bacon until it starts to get caramelized. On another large cutting board peel and roughly chop the onions. Wash the the cauliflower and cut into slices and chunks, as pictured above. When the bacon is brown drain some of the fat out. I like to keep at least 3 tablespoons. Add the onion to the pot with the bacon and fat, allow the onion to carmelize. This adds lots of extra flavour. Once everything gets browned and softened add the cauliflower and enough water to just barely cover everything. Add the chicken paste. Be sure to not overfill your soup, or it will be watery. Bring to a boil, then immediately turn down to a simmer. Boiling soups for a long time makes them lose flavour. Simmer for about 20 – 30 minutes, until the cauliflower is very soft. Blend. I like to use an immersion blender, because I find it easier to clean and less work. Puree for a while then let it rest for 5 minutes before blending more. Giving the cauliflower a chance to rest makes for a smoother soup. Add the truffle oil and extra salt and pepper if you think you need it. Finish blending and serve.