Ready to prepare the purple cauliflower soup? You will fall in love, promise! The color, the aroma, the texture. In short, I fell madly in love with it and to think that I had never bought it before reading the recipe a few weeks ago in a vegetarian cookbook. So here I am with a new recipe!
I will explain, step by step, how to prepare the soup with cauliflower, starting with the potato, the cooking in a pot with water and lemon, up to the plating. We will also prepare stale bread croutons, perfect for accompanying today’s soup.
An easy, quick, and delicious recipe as we like it: a lactose-free vegetarian side dish. If you have guests during the Christmas holidays, you can impress them by serving this soup as an appetizer, accompanied by cold cuts and cheeses. And of course, you must have bread to mop up the sauce!
This winter vegetable is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, fiber, and minerals. The cauliflower is an affordable ingredient: if you think about it, it costs more or less like potatoes. It originates from the union of broccoli and cauliflower; there is also a variety called Violetto di Sicilia, cultivated in the province of Catania. It is a versatile vegetable in the kitchen: in fact, it can be used both raw and cooked, and it is super appealing thanks to its distinctive color.
Over the years, I have proposed many soups, here are a few. Each link is clickable and will take you directly to the recipe you choose to read. Among these, you will also find another super colorful soup: the purple carrot soup with Greek yogurt, irresistible!
Now let’s move on to the recipe and the video recipe to prepare together the purple cauliflower soup!
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients for Four Servings of Purple Cauliflower Soup
- 1.3 lbs cauliflower (purple)
- 1 potato (very small)
- to taste onion (or finely chopped shallot)
- 7/8 cup water (or vegetable broth)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (generous)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
Ingredient List Tips: the amount of finely chopped onion is about 10 grams. I used white onion, but golden onion will be fine too. Alternatively, you can use shallot. The teaspoon of lemon juice should be generous: it will help to retain the purple coloration of the cauliflower. You won’t smell or taste the lemon, so feel free to add it.
Tools to Prepare Purple Cauliflower Soup
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pot
- 1 Blender
- 1 Wooden Spoon
- 1 Potato Peeler
- 1 Pan
Steps for Purple Cauliflower Soup Recipe
I begin the preparation by peeling the potato. I chose a very small potato, as we need it to have a starch component that will help thicken the soup. I remove the skin with the potato peeler, then cut it into very small cubes. I chop the white onion, or the golden one, into small pieces. I wash the cauliflower, remove the stem, and the leaves, then cut it with a sharp knife into not too small pieces, as it will have to cook in the pot for at least 30 minutes.
I pour a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil into the pot, place it on the stovetop and put the onion mince to sauté over low heat. When the onion is wilted, I add the potato pieces. I let it cook for about five minutes.
I stir with a wooden spoon and then add the purple cauliflower coarsely chopped. I add the amount of water and the teaspoon of lemon juice, sprinkle with salt and pepper. I cover the pot with the lid and let it cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, I prepare the croutons with stale bread.
I take three slices of old bread, cut them into cubes, and place them in a small bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Stir and pour everything into a non-stick pan. Place on low heat with the lid on and let cook for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally. The croutons should become nicely golden and crunchy.
Once the cauliflower is cooked, I can proceed. I set up the blender on the work surface, pour the still hot cauliflower into the bowl and blend it into puree. If necessary, I add a bit of water or vegetable broth. I pour it into serving bowls and decorate with the ready croutons.
I am ready to serve the purple cauliflower soup to my family or guests! I just have to wish you a good appetite and remind you that I am waiting for you here on my blog every day with lots of easy, quick, and delicious recipes like this one!
Tips and Variations for Purple Cauliflower Soup Recipe
Tips: as mentioned, let the purple cauliflower cook over low heat with the indicated amount of water, keeping the lid on throughout the cooking. Then pass the cooked cauliflower in the blender; you can also use an immersion blender for this recipe. If necessary, add a little water or more vegetable broth if you prefer a thinner consistency. For a wow color effect, add a few drops of lemon juice after plating the soup: you’ll see that the spots hit by the lemon will change color again, becoming almost bright fuchsia.
Variations: if you don’t have white onion, you can use golden onion or shallot. If you don’t have vegetable broth, like I didn’t this morning, use water. If you want, you can add some spices while the cauliflower is cooking in the pot. If you serve this soup as an appetizer, you can add a spoonful, in each bowl, of spreadable cheese. It will make the soup creamier, but remember that doing so will no longer make it a vegetarian dish. However, you can choose a vegetable cheese if you have guests or family members who are lactose intolerant.
