I go to the Shuk almost everyday. I love the energy and the craziness. It is crowded and noisy and people push through the narrow lane with baby strollers, electric bikes, shopping carts and sometimes even motorcycles. I almost never buy from the vendors that should from behind the table. Not because they shout but because I shop instinctively - mostly inspired by color.
On Tuesday I went with the intention of buying tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and onions. The basics that one can't live without here. I came home with a whole lot more including the most beautiful anise bulbs with long fronds. They will be tonight's salad.
The vendors are always trimming and minding their produce. So when items like cauliflower begin to wilt, they cut off the good bits and package them up. I don't buy the packages florets but often they are tossed into my bag as a bonus.
When I got home I found that I had unpacked three packages of florets that had been tossed in. The only thing to do was make soup.
Cauliflower is generally not the best soup ingredient. Like broccoli it can be gritty and tasteless unless you add a heck of a lot of cream. I wanted to make a vegan soup since so many of my friends prefer to eat this way and for some "cream" and dairy is a no-no.
The recipe below does include cream but the cream can easily be left out or substituted for with coconut milk.
BT'S Cauliflower And Fresh Corn Soup
Ingredients:
1 large, very fresh cauliflower
1 medium leek
1 medium white onion
2 ears fresh white corn or 2 ears blanched yellow corn
2 tablespoon ghee
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon harissa
1 red chili - seed and vein
1 teaspoon dry thyme
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon lovage or oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1 small bunch of any bitter green - parsley, morgana, watercress, arugula
1 lemon - juiced
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream (can use coconut milk or omit altogether)
6 cups (1.4 l) filtered water
2 teaspoon kosher salt
ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dill
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro
Directions:
Remove hard inner core of cauliflower
Soak head in ice water for half an hour to thoroughly de-bug
Drain, discard water and reserve cauliflower
Finely dice onion, leek and bitter greens
Slice chili
Add ghee to heavy gauge cocotte
Place on burner and turn flame to medium
When ghee is bubbling, add mustard seeds and chili
When seeds begin to pop add onion, leek and bitter greens
Sauté for 3 - 4 minutes or until onion is translucent
Add harissa, cloves, thyme, lovage, 1 teaspoon salt and garlic
Sauté 1- 2 minutes
Add several grinds of black pepper and water
Raise the flame to medium high and bring water to a boil
Break cauliflower into florets and add to pot
Reduce flame to low and cover
Simmer for 25 minutes or until cauliflower is totally broken down
Strain soup through sieve separating solids from liquid
Take 1 ladle of broth and add it to solids
Using a wand blender purée solids producing a thick soup
Add broth, one ladle at a time to thin the soup until it is desired consistency (personal preference)
Add cream, if using
Remove corn kernels from ears
Add to soup
Add lemon juice
Return soup to cocotte
Heat slowly on low
Taste for salt
Add salt and pepper as desired
Serve with fresh chopped dill and cilantro
Enjoy! !בתיאבון
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