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Simmering vegetables in a covered pot over low heat so that they steam in their own liquid—a French technique called à l'étouffée—is the ticket to achieving a soup with pronounced depth. We love this method with cauliflower, but also try it with celeriac or rutabagas.
Recipe information
Yield
8 Servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Heat ¼ cup oil in a large heavy pot over medium. Add shallots, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme; season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are translucent, 6–8 minutes.
Step 2
Add wine, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
Step 3
Set ¾ cup cauliflower aside; add the rest to pot along with cayenne and ¾ cup cashews; season with salt.
Step 4
Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and cook, shaking pot occasionally, until cauliflower is fork-tender and vegetables have released all their water, 20–25 minutes (check occasionally to make sure vegetables are not browning; reduce heat if they are).
Step 5
Add stock and season with salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until cauliflower is falling apart, 20–25 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Step 6
Meanwhile, finely chop reserved ¾ cup cauliflower and remaining 2 tablespoons cashews. Heat remaining ¼ cup oil in a small skillet over medium. Add cauliflower, cashews, and buckwheat; season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until cauliflower and cashews are golden brown and buckwheat is browned and crisp, 5–8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and paprika. Let cool slightly.
Step 7
Working in batches if needed, purée soup in a blender until very smooth. Return to pot and reheat over mediumlow, stirring and adding more stock to thin if needed (soup should be the consistency of heavy cream). Taste and season soup again if needed.
Step 8
Serve soup topped with toasted cauliflower-buckwheat mixture.
Step 9
Do ahead: Soup can be made 2 days ahead (or 1 month if frozen). Let cool; transfer to airtight containers and chill.
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Reviews (15)
Back to Topho-hum. cashew just a thickener...offers no flavor.
cam
orlando fl
12/22/2022
Thank you for sharing this very flavorful soup recipe.
kemccabe
marin ca
11/24/2019
Wonderful recipe. Had to omit the cayenne due to a guest’s food allergy, but it was still very flavorful.
Foodlover31
3/10/2019
This recipe produces an incredibly rich and satisfying soup, and the crunchy bits are a perfect finish. You can also adjust the level of liquid you use to produce a great vegan alternative to grits, polenta, chowder, mashed potatoes, honestly the possibilities are endless with such a versatile recipe. I learned a lot from making this recipe, and I will definitely use it again!
ameliagfrank
Austin, TX
3/4/2019
Delicious, sophisticated soup for not much trouble. I made it per the recipe and the combination of the unctuous soup with the crispy savory bits was wonderful. The only things I might change next time are to possibly sprinkle with freshly chopped chives before serving, and maybe do something about the color, which is a dull ecru. Possibly add turmeric powder. That would affect the taste, too, but I think in a good way. My review is for the soup as written, though.
rcallner
Olympia, WA
4/10/2017
Wow! So delicious, easy to make, healthy! Perfect for the freezer, too. Just make it!
ercwjm
2/15/2017
Family loved this, had to use onion as I was out of shallots. Will trying broccoli next time.
Anonymous
Seattle
1/11/2017