NEVER saw a Purple Cow,- I never hope to see one;
- But I can tell you, anyhow,
- I’d rather see than be one.
–Gelett Burgess (1866-1951)
How about a purple soup?
Ever saw one of those?
Neither had I until I picked up a bright purple cauliflower at a recent Long Beach Farmers Market and used it in this Cauliflower Soup recipe. I never expected that it would keep its color through the cooking process but, to my surprise, I had a pretty lavender soup in my soup pot when the soup was ready to be served. Happy surprise!
Speaking of happy, it’s our birthday! (How’s that for a smooth segue?)
Blue Cayenne is 10!
Little did we know ten years ago on October 8, 2015, when we posted a recipe for Senegalese Bean Salad and took a chance with our meagre tech skills, that we would be cooking and photographing and writing ten years later. It’s been fun and frustrating. Most of all, it’s been educational. We’ve learned a lot about photography (thank you Al), web pages (thank you Nami), and cooking (thank you to the cookbook authors who have inspired and challenged us). (Here is a link to that first recipe if you want to see our first attempt at a post (or if you want to enjoy a great bean salad: https://bluecayenne.com/60.)
Most of all, thank you to those of you who’ve read and supported our journey. Your encouragement has meant a lot. Really.
So, Juliet, my faithful Chief Quality Officer, and I are celebrating our 674th post (whew!) with a this colorful soup.
Here is the recipe as I prepared it in my kitchen.
Purple Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 1 large purple cauliflower (chopped)
- 1 large onion (diced)
- 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 4-5 C. vegetable broth
- 1 to 1 1/2 C. coconut milk
- 2 T. olive oil
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- Slices of cauliflower or leaves of herbs for garnish
Directions
- Step 1 Chop cauliflower into chunks.
- Step 2 Combine onion, garlic and olive oil in a pan and saute until the onion is soft.
- Step 3 Add the chopped cauliflower to the pan and continue to saute for about 5 minutes.
- Step 4 Add broth to the vegetable mixture. Bring the broth to a boil. Lower the temperature to a simmer and simmer for about 20 minutes. You want the cauliflower to soften to the point that it can be pureed to a smooth consistency.
- Step 5 Put this mixture in a food processor or heavy-duty blender and puree. You want a very smooth soup base at this step. Return the cauliflower puree to the soup pot. Add the coconut milk. Stir. Add salt and pepper to your taste.
- Step 6 Serve with garnishes of your choice. I saved some of the soft cauliflower and sliced it thin to float on top of the soup along with a pretty arugula leaf.
