Cauliflower Soup (Minestra Di Cavalfiore)
Submitted by phil
A rustic Italian cauliflower soup simmered in beef broth with plenty of garlic, red pepper flakes, and fresh parsley. Ladle it into bowls and shower with freshly grated Romano cheese. Simple, bold, and soul-warming.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minThis is Italian cooking at its most honest: a handful of ingredients, zero fuss, and flavor that punches well above its weight.
Cauliflower gets a quick blanch, then sautés in olive oil with golden garlic and red pepper flakes until every floret is coated in heat and fragrance.
Hot beef broth and fresh parsley turn it into a chunky, brothy soup that fills your kitchen with the kind of smell that brings everyone to the table.
Finish each bowl with a blizzard of freshly grated Romano and serve it alongside thick slices of crusty bread or garlic-rubbed bruschetta.
Chef Tips
- Wash the cauliflower in vinegar water before cooking; this is a classic Italian trick that removes any hidden grit and keeps the florets bright white
- Go heavy on the garlic here, four to six cloves minimum; this soup is built on it
- For a silkier version, purée one cup of the cooked cauliflower and stir it back in while leaving the rest chunky
- Use the best Romano cheese you can find and grate it fresh; the pre-shredded stuff just won’t melt the same way
Ingredients
Directions
There’s probably no sense in making this soup if you don’t like cauliflower.
As with so much Italian food, this recipe uses a few basic ingredients to showcase the star vegetable.
A purist would even shudder at the cheese! Make this soup as garlicky and spicy as you like but be sure to serve lots of crusty Italian bread or bruschetta (toasted Italian bread brushed with olive oil).
If you want a soup with a bit more texture, remove 1 cup of the cooked cauliflower, purée it, and return it to the remaining soup Break the cauliflower florets into small (½ inch) pieces. Trim the stem end and cut into ½-inch pieces. Wash the cauliflower in 2 quarts of cold water blended with 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Drain and drop into a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil for 4 minutes; drain and dry well. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot; add the garlic and hot pepper, and cook gently until the garlic is golden. Add the cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes, stirring to prevent it from browning. Add the hot broth, salt and parsley and cook until the cauliflower is tender. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with a generous amount of cheese. Serves 6.
Comments
