Cauliflower Apple Soup

I know. . . strange right?  Cauliflower apple soup?  But it was so good!  A must try, and I'm not even a big cauliflower fan.  I received two heads of cauliflower in my Bountiful Basket and didn't know what to do with them.  I honestly do NOT like cauliflower raw, and I've tried the mock mashed potatoes with cauliflower and didn't like those either.  So what's a girl to do?  Well, after scouring the internet for something that sounded good and had cauliflower in the ingredients I finally found a soup that seemed simple enough.  I think this recipe would taste just as good with pears in place of the apples, in fact it might taste really good with pears AND apples!

Cauliflower Apple Soup

adapted from Alexandra's Kitchen

Ingredients

1 medium cauliflower (about 2lbs) 

2 small apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1 quart milk (I used 1%, but I'm sure any type would work)

1/2 oz spaghetti noodles (about 30 strands), broken into 2" pieces

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

pinch of sugar

2 teaspoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon heavy cream

freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cut the cauliflower into florets and roughly chop.  You should have 7 to 8 cups. (I didn't measure mine...opps!)

2. Transfer the cauliflower to a medium saucepan and add the apple and milk.  Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and stir in the pasta, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and the sugar.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is puree-tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Strain the mixture reserving the cooking liquid.  Transfer the solids to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth, at least one minute, adding a tablespoon or two of the reserved cooking liquid if necessary.  (Alternatively, return the solids to the pan and puree them with an immersion blender.)  Let the motor run for a minute or two, scraping down the sides several times until you have a fine puree.  Add the butter and the heavy cream and season with a bit more salt if necessary, pepper and another pinch of sugar.  

4. Top bowls of soup with crispy bread cubes (see recipe below).

French Bread Cubes

Ingredients

1 loaf of french bread, or bread of your choice

4-5 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Cut bread into 1" cubes.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Place cubes of bread in heated oil and brown on all sides.

3. Repeat until all cubes are browned and crispy on all sides.  Use additional oil if needed.