Ready to prepare the creamy purple cauliflower soup? You will fall in love, promised! The color, the scent, the texture. In short, I fell madly in love and to think I had never bought it before reading the recipe a few weeks ago in a vegetarian recipe book. So here I am with a new recipe!
I will explain to you, step by step, how to prepare the creamy cauliflower soup, starting from the potato, cooking in a pot with water and lemon, up to plating. We will also prepare together the croutons from stale bread, perfect for accompanying today’s soup.
A recipe that is easy, quick, and delicious like we love: a vegetarian side dish without lactose. If you have guests during the Christmas holidays, you can impress them by serving this soup as an appetizer, accompanied by cured meats and cheeses. And don’t forget the bread for the final scoop!
This winter vegetable is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, fiber, and minerals. The cauliflower is an economical ingredient: if you think about it, it costs more or less like potatoes. It comes from the union of broccoli cabbage and cauliflower; there is a variety called Violet of Sicily, 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 to you many creamy soups, below you will find some. Each link is clickable and will take you directly to the recipe you have chosen 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 creamy purple cauliflower soup!
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- Energy 66.95 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 9.63 (g) of which sugars 3.09 (g)
- Proteins 3.14 (g)
- Fat 2.77 (g) of which saturated 0.54 (g)of which unsaturated 0.11 (g)
- Fibers 3.32 (g)
- Sodium 144.67 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 160 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for four servings of creamy purple cauliflower soup
- 21 oz cauliflower (purple)
- 1 potato (very small)
- to taste onion (or shallot finely chopped)
- 1 cup cup water (or vegetable broth)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (generous)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
Tips on the ingredient list: the amount of finely chopped onion is about 10 grams. I used white onion, but yellow onion will also be fine. Alternatively, you can use shallot. The teaspoon of lemon juice should be generous: it will help to maintain the purple color of the cauliflower. You won’t detect the lemon’s scent or acidity, so add it without hesitation.
Tools to prepare the creamy purple cauliflower soup
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pot
- 1 Blender
- 1 Wooden Spoon
- 1 Peeler
- 1 Pan
Steps for the creamy purple cauliflower soup recipe
I start the preparation by peeling the potato. I have chosen a very small potato, this is because we need it for the starch component that will help us thicken the soup. I remove the peel with the peeler, then cut it into very small cubes. I chop the white onion, or yellow, 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 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 stove and sauté the chopped onion over low heat. When the onion is wilted, I add the potato pieces. I cook for about five minutes.
I stir with a wooden spoon and then add the roughly chopped purple cauliflower. I add the water and the teaspoon of lemon juice, sprinkle with salt and pepper. I close the pot with the lid and let 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 pour them into a bowl. I sprinkle with salt and pepper and add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. I mix and pour everything into a non-stick pan. I place on the stove over low heat, cover with the lid and let cook for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally. The croutons should become golden and crispy.
Once the cauliflower is cooked, I can proceed. I place the blender on the work surface, pour the still hot cauliflower into the bowl and puree it. If necessary, I add a bit of water or vegetable broth. I pour into serving bowls and decorate with the now ready bread croutons.
I am ready to serve the creamy purple cauliflower soup to my family or guests! I just have to wish you bon appétit and remind you that I await you every day here on my blog with many easy, quick, and delicious recipes like this one!
Tips and variations for the creamy purple cauliflower soup recipe
Tips: as anticipated, let the purple cauliflower cook over low heat with the indicated amount of water, keeping the lid on throughout 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 more liquid consistency. If you desire a color wow effect, add a few drops of lemon juice even 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 yellow onion or shallot. If you don’t have vegetable broth, like myself this morning, use water. If you want, you can add spices during the cooking of the cauliflower in the pot. If you serve this soup as an appetizer, you can add a tablespoon of spreadable cheese to each bowl. This will make the soup creamier, but remember it will no longer be a vegetarian dish. However, you can choose a vegetable cheese if you have guests or family members lactose intolerant.
