Genius Cauliflower Soup From Paul Bertolli Recipe on Food52 (2024)

this is a fabulous elegant soup just exactly as is,
and also with added cumin, turmeric, garlic to taste

Why does anyone like this? it doesn't taste like anything.

Sometimes, less is more, and this recipe perfectly exemplifies this. A delicate soup which takes time, but elevates a simple dish to dinner party status. Next time, I'll try the suggestion of salting the onions as they cook. I also want to try leeks instead of onions or combined to them. It would be interesting adding a touch of sorrel, if available. Any other change, I feel, would ruin the delicate flavour.

A local restaurant has a signature cauliflower soup and published the directions on Twitter. It's this soup, possibly less onion and less water: olive oil, one onion, two heads cauliflower. The chef salts the onion as it is cooking in the olive oil. I have made it exactly like this and also by adding obvious things: rosemary, butter, cheese, capers, cream - just one at a time. The doctored soup is never as good as the pure thing. It is fantastic. If yours is not I suggest more salt, less water, or higher quality cauliflower.

wonderful soup! I added a pinch of white pepper to give it a little omf .I definitely will do it again. thanks !

Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of the recipe. This soup goes miles and is very versatile to dress up as you like. I put my own twist on it and made it with 6 oz of leeks instead of onion. Since the recipe strongly recommends really fresh cauliflower this is impossible for me if it’s not in season. I did 2/3 cauliflower 1/3 baby cauliflower to give it that fresh flavor but not be overtly sweet. It is really good and it does not need any broth if you follow the proportions of the recipe and cook it like it’s states.

I decided to trust the recommendation not to change the recipe even though it was hard to imagine this soup not needing a boost of some kind. I just love recipes that are deceptively simple, containing few ingredients but due to the technique packing a flavorful punch. This soup is delicious! I will be making it again.

Absolutely delicious! I topped with scallions and added extra fresh ground pepper and salt. This is a keeper.

Whooo boy. This is 100% a keeper. Followed others’ suggestions and used vege broth with a splash of chix and water, but followed the instructions exactly. Outstanding! This will be the go to for the soup course at dinner parties. Top it with truffle salt…bacon…candied, spiced nuts…generous parmigiana. Can’t go wrong.
It’s perfectly understated, yet tasty and satisfying. So very good.

I was very disappointed by the outcome from this recipe. I had decided that the absence of flavor might be due to a less than very fresh cauliflower head but reading the other reviews makes me realize that the flavorless result was not solely my own experience.

This is quite similar to a better NYTimes recipe that seriously upgrades flavor by combining with a quickly made rosemary oil. Chicken broth and lemon (they say zest, I prefer juice) make the soup hauntingly flavorful instead of bland.

khart January 25, 2023

My soup came out without much flavor. My friend used chicken broth and hers was better than my version. Does anyone know the calorie count for this soup so I can log it into Noom?

If you’ve ever ordered potato soup and thought mm-mm good, then this healthier version of Warm goodness will definitely be a winner. Loved it down to the last drop.

It’s basically hot white water with a tad bit of salt. Not appealing.

What a waste of time.No flavor. Not inedible, but now I have to make a meal that has taste and substance. Look elsewhere....

Seriously disappointing. Tasteless.

I was looking for an elegant soup for a New Year’s Eve dinner. This soup is velvety but tasteless. We added Parmesan and hot sauce. Would be good with a swirl of pesto.

Just made this favorite recipe again for the umpteenth time. I usually follow exact directions but today since our family is battling the flu, I added a whole bulb of garlic to the steaming cauliflower. Hoping the medicinal properties of the garlic will speed the healing along. The flavor is still mild and absolutely delicious!

I love this soup. I often top it with truffle oil (not too much!) and it's just so warm and cozy on a cold night. It's simple, yes, but therein lies the beauty. It's a wonderful expression of cauliflower. Follow the recipe - I can't imagine using any sort of stock, I think it would take away from the pure taste. I have tried substituting leeks and shallots for the onion, and decidedly prefer using a sweet white onion, which compliments but doesn't overwhelm the cauliflower. So easy to make too. An absolute winner.

I was dubious, but if you follow these directions faithfully this soup is superb.