Cauliflower Soup

In a city full of great food, it’s hard to determine a favorite: the bird at Chirping Chicken, ribeye at Strip House, chopped liver at Russ & Daughters, lox and onions at Barney Greengrass, the duck at Peking Duck House, tortilla soup at La Esquina. Because I’m not a huge soup guy, the final item sort of stands out, but if you’ve had it, you’ll understand, even if you’re not a big soup eater as well.

La Esquina occupies the point of a triangle at the convergence of Kenmare, Lafayette, and Centre streets. They have a few restaurants, but for the soup get it takeout from the casual taqueria right at the tip of the triangle: it tastes better in the white paper cups which force you to dig down and scoop up the shredded chicken at the bottom. Sharing space with the chicken down there is a hearty portion of fried tortilla strips, still crispy despite being submerged in hot soup, and queso fresco. Somewhere in the middle swim 5 or 6 chunks of avocado and fresh onion, and a few smoky shards of dried chilies float on top.

I’d shower in the broth, which is not too thin, spicy with chilies and onions and spices. If you know anyone who knows the soup chef, please email me. Or call at any hour.

The soup works because like any great dish it’s a union of perfectly matched ingredients. The proportions are absolutely correct as well: it’s balance and integrity in one small cup. And though I’m not a huge soup guy, I do enjoy clam chowder, chicken soup, and similar dishes whose hidden treasures are made visible only upon the emergence of your spoon.

Tortilla soup, clam chowder, chicken soup, the Moroccan chicken chowder with chickpeas at Balthazar (also a delightful takeout cup of soup), etc. are all soups containing perfectly matched flavors. The best chicken soup uses chicken stock. Any decent clam chowder starts is only as good as its clam or fish stock. And so on. Tortilla soup is as good as the tomatoes and Mexican spices, the same goes for the Moroccan chowder.

A lot of soups are, of course, a product of the blender: pea, tomato, mushroom, and so on. And if the aforementioned soups have stuff in them, these, especially as served in restaurants, have stuff on them. Croutons (torn is de rigeur), chopped herbs, grated cheese, a dollop of sour cream or crème fraiche, are all common and, to me, reasonable. Often, however, the surface of a bowl of soup holds a hypnotic command over the best of chefs who cannot resist the urge to fingerpaint like an over-excited toddler.

As a result, placed before you at your table sits a mere shell of what you ordered: a bowl of something under a crust of strange discordant items: candied fruits, spiced popcorn, smashed granola bars, capers fried in duck fat. And of course the ubiquitous flavored oils squeeze-bottled in fanciful swirls. The poor soup has become an art project fit for a nursery school classroom.

The idea for this cauliflower soup originated, oddly, from the aforementioned tortilla soup whose ingredients are so beautifully harmonized and naturally matched. Garnishing a soup with its base ingredient seems similarly sensible. You could grate raw cauliflower on top as well, but we roasted florets and dusted them with paprika for color. Enjoy.

Cauliflower Soup
Serves 4

2 heads cauliflower
1/3 cup olive oil
1 medium onion diced ¼ inch
1 rib celery, diced ¼ inch
whole milk
1 tablespoon paprika
salt and white pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375. Break down one head of cauliflower into florets and place in a bowl. Toss with salt, white pepper and ¼ cup olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and roast until deep gold. They should be well-colored and shrunken.
2. Meanwhile, break down the other head of cauliflower into chunks. In a medium pot heat the remaining oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and celery and cook until soft. Add the reserved cauliflower, toss, cover with milk, reduce heat to medium and simmer until the cauliflower is very soft.
3. With a slotted spoon, place the cauliflower in blender, adding enough of the cooking liquid for soup consistency. Do this in batches. Pour into the pot and  reserve, season well with salt and white pepper.
4. Add the roasted cauliflower to a bowl, toss with the paprika and re-season if necessary.
5. To serve, place a spoonful of roasted cauliflower in the center of a soup bowl. Using a ladle or measuring cup, pour some soup around and serve hot.