Romanesco Soup

Baby, it's coooold outside!  When the temperature drops, my thoughts turn to soup.  I went to the farmers' market on Sunday and found a few things that I wanted to play around with.  One of those was a Romanesco cauliflower (sometimes called Romanesco Broccoli or Roman Broccoli).  I've seen it over the years, but never worked with it before - and I was in one of those moods......

Romanesco is an edible flower from the same family as broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts. But it's much cooler looking (unless you're my friend Michael who's creeped out by it).  I thought of just sautéing it or roasting it with some olive oil and lemon, but that's a little boring.  And then it got so cold today, and I had soup on the brain.  I use regular cauliflower for soups when I cook for people who are lactose intolerant, because it makes the soup creamy, without the use of cream, so I knew this would make a velvety soup, with a nuttier, softer taste than cauliflower.
So I'm in!

Whenever I'm winging it, I always think about what flavors will go with the main event.  Some things naturally go together.  I made a list of everything that came to mind: leeks, celery, garlic, lemon, dill, curry (could go in so many different directions), coconut.  And a plan started to come together.  With my trusty notebook in hand, I went to work....

 First things first, you have to thinly slice your leeks, and then pop them into a bowl of water to get rid of any dirt inside.  People ask me all the time about leeks and green onions, and which parts you can use.  With green onions (I call them scallions, just to bug my friends) you trim the very ends and you can use the whole thing.  However, only the white and light green parts of leeks should be used, though the dark green stalks are great to add to your homemade stock.

 Cut up the Romanesco into small florets, trying to keep uniform sizes so that they cook evenly.

I sautéed the leeks and celery, then added some garlic.  In goes the Romanesco and a small Yukon gold potato (extra creaminess).  Then I added 4 cups of chicken broth.  If you want to keep it vegetarian, you can use vegetable broth, but I really like the little bump of flavor you get from the fat of a chicken broth (oh come on, fat is your friend - as long as you don't spend too much time together!).

 

This is usually my approach to making a soup, if I'm making it up as I go along.  I save the additional seasoning until after I puree it, and then I can play around with different ideas.  I take a little bit of soup in a bowl and add different herbs, spices, acids and see what I like, this way I don't run the risk of messing up the whole pot of soup.  The curry powder was a little heavy for me, and the dill took away from the flavor.

 

I wanted to keep it bright, so I landed on apple cider vinegar, lemon zest and goat yogurt (gives a nice tangy punch, and most people who are lactose intolerant can handle goat milk/cheese/yogurt.  It's very close to mother's milk, so our bodies can accept it better than cow dairy).   

 

Now, when I think of soup, I often think of grilled cheese sandwiches (OK, not doing this for my lactose intolerant clients).  It's the comfort thing, I guess.  And it works!  Today I whipped up a grown up version: melted brie, apple and rocket on sourdough with a hit of Dijon mustard.  Oh BABY! 

 

When was the last time you tried something new?  Ready to branch out?  Give this soup and sandwich combo a try.....and you can thank me later.

 

 



 

Romanesco Soup

Serves 6

 

1 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil

2 leeks, trimmed, thinly sliced and cleaned

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1 lb. Romanesco cauliflower, cut into florets

1 cup chopped Yukon gold potato (about 1 medium)

4 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons plain goat yogurt

2 teaspoons lemon zest

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

• Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat.
• Add leeks and celery and saute, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until softened.
• Add garlic and sauté one more minute.
• Add Romanesco and potato and stir to coat.  Cook an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes until Romanesco is tender.
• Working in batches if necessary, puree soup in blender.
• Add yogurt, lemon zest, apple cider vinegar and salt.  Puree again to combine.
• Taste and season with additional salt if desired.

 

 

Yum it up!