Hearty Cauliflower Soup with Sausage and Pesto
Award-winning chef, author and video star Eitan Bernath loves cauliflower. “It was the first vegetable I ever liked as a kid, to my parents’ absolute delight,” he recalls. Here he incorporates his favorite veg into a soup that’s both easy and delicious, boasting deep, rich flavor like it’s been simmering all day. First Eitan renders the fat from hot Italian sausages “so you start with tons of flavor from the first step,” he explains. “Then leeks and LOTS of garlic are caramelized together, and then the star of the show—the cauliflower—finally joins the party.” He includes potatoes for heft and then blends everything together. A final drizzle of pesto adds herbaceousness and acidity. Perfect for lunch or dinner, the soup is also a wonderful first course for a Passover celebration. To make the soup kosher, swap out the hot Italian sausages for kosher sausages.
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 hot Italian sausages, diced
- 1 leek, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced
- 1 garlic head (10 to 12 cloves), chopped
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 cups (32 fl. oz./1 l) chicken stock
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into large florets (about 6 cups/12 oz./375 g)
- 1 medium Yukon Gold potato, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the pesto:
- 2 cups (2 oz./60 g) packed fresh basil leaves
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup (1 1/4 oz./40 g) pine nuts
- 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Red pepper flakes
Directions
To make the soup, in a large stockpot over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the sausage and sauté until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a small bowl, leaving any excess oil in the pot.
In the same pot over medium-low heat, add the leek and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown and caramelize, about 15 minutes. Season with the oregano and red pepper flakes, then cook, stirring to combine, for 1 minute.
Pour the stock into the pot, then add the cauliflower and potato. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the cauliflower and potato are fork-tender, about 30 minutes.
Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the soup back into the pot and taste, then adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper.
To make the pesto, in a food processor, combine the basil, garlic and pine nuts and pulse until coarsely chopped. With the processor running, stream in the olive oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Taste, then season with salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Process one more time until combined. Set aside until ready to serve.
Ladle the soup evenly into 6 bowls and top with the cooked sausage and a drizzle of the pesto. Serves 6.
Recipe courtesy of Eitan Bernath