These are strange times, aren’t they? As we shelter in place, my inclination is to cook like it’s a snow day - something comforting and warming, something you can cozy up with. The truth however, is that my daughter is staying with me and we’re both working from home, sitting in front of computers all day. This works for that situation as well. This is a super creamy soup, with the tiniest bit of heat, but most of the creaminess comes from avocado, as opposed to having large amounts of dairy.
INGREDIENTS
olive oil for the pan, and a bit more to drizzle for garnish
1 cup yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, roughly chopped
2 approximately 3-inch jalapeño peppers, more if you want more heat
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large head cauliflower, washed and dried, roughly chopped
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, washed and dried, roughly chopped, plus a few sprigs for garnish
1/4 cup sour cream or yogurt
2 tablespoons cream or half & half
1 ripe avocado
salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
Coat the bottom of a large soup pot with olive oil and place it over medium heat.
Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 7 minutes.
Cut the stems off the jalapeños and then slice them in half, lengthwise. Remove the seeds, roughly chop them, and add them to the pan, along with the cumin.
Cook until the jalapeños are soft, about 4 minutes. (If you want more heat, leave some of the seeds.)
Now add the cauliflower and stir to coat it with the other ingredients.
Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Immediately turn the heat to low, cover and let it simmer until the cauliflower is very tender, about 30 minutes.
Add the cilantro, sour cream, cream and avocado and then pour the contents of the pot, in batches, into a powerful blender and blend until very smooth, about 20 seconds.
Return the soup to the pot, heat it just to serving temperature and season generously to taste with salt and pepper.
Drizzle each serving with a bit of olive oil and a sprig of cilantro or some snipped chives.
Work, Netflix, chill, and send some of this to a neighbor that can’t get out. This too shall pass.