Cauliflower Apple Soup with Thyme Croutons
3 tablespoons butter
2 small sweet onions, diced
2 stalks celery, ends trimmed, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed, stems discarded
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets, main stem and core removed*
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced (a tart or a sweet-tart apple, like a Honeycrisp, is best)
4-6 cups chicken or vegetable stock (see note in directions)
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste (lots of pepper!)
1 tablespoon olive oil
relatively stale bread, cut into small cubes
1 sprig of thyme, leaves removed, stems discarded
parmesan cheese, finely grated, for sprinkling (fresh is best, but if you must use the green can, so be it)
Melt the butter in a stock pot or large dutch oven over medium-low heat until golden brown. This will only take a few minutes past the melting point, so don’t walk away from the stove. The butter should have a distinct nutty aroma. Add the onions, celery and garlic and sautee until the vegetables are soft, about 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle the thyme, coriander, a pinch of salt and some black pepper over the vegetables; stir well.
Add the cauliflower and apples to the pot and level evenly across the pot, then add stock until it almost (but does not) cover the cauliflower and apples. Depending on the size of the head of cauliflower, this could be anywhere from 4 to 6 cups of stock. Stir in the apple cider vinegar. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a good simmer. Cover, and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium-sized pan over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and stir thoroughly to coat in oil. If you want, run your chef’s knife through the thyme to break them into smaller spieces (they’ll stick to the bread better). Sprinkle the thyme and pepper over the cubes and stir until all sides are toasted and the cubes are very warm. Sprinkle parmesan cheese lightly over the cubes and allow to melt without stirring.
Back to the soup. When a floret of cauliflower is easily mashed against the side of the pot with a fork, use an immersion blender to blend the soup to a thick, creamy consistency (or use a regular blender, working in small batches). Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper, as necessary. Turn heat to low until ready to serve. Ladle into individual bowls, season with additional pepper, then top with the croutons.
*The head used in this post was quite large (and cost close to $4.00!), however, the size of the head isn’t very important – simply adjust the stock up or down to match, so that the soup is not too thick or too watery. You needn’t adjust the other ingredients, except for the seasoning: make sure you taste the soup now and then to see if it needs more salt or pepper.