Cauliflower and Mushroom Bisque



This is a sturdy soup that you can make as thin or as thick as you like, depending on how much stock you add. It passes for potato soup but no potatoes were harmed in the making! For serving with dairy, feel free to add some cream or thinned yogurt. This also makes a good sauce for rice, couscous, pasta, chicken, pargiot or even mini hamburgers, which I made tonight.

And it got one kid vote at supper tonight, even though said child burned her mouth on it ( I don't want any McDonalds coffee type lawsuits so, WARNING: This soup is very very hot when you first make it, so blow on it before eating and don't put the bowl between your knees while driving a car. Thanks!)

Hattip to my mother. She gave me the original idea for the recipe.


Cauliflower and Mushroom Bisque
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
4 zucchini, washed and cut into chunks (if you want to maintain a lighter color and you're not in Israel, peel some or all of the zucchinis).
1 large or 2 small heads of cauliflower, broken into florets
1 basket of mushrooms, sliced
3-4 Swiss chard leaves or 1 cup spinach, roughly chopped
Chicken, veggie stock or water to cover vegetables
s/p
Pinch of nutmeg


Saute onion and garlic until soft. Add mushrooms and saute until they start to cook down. Add the rest of the vegetables except chard/ spinach and stir. Cover pot and cook on low, without water for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables start to make their own stock (this really brings out the flavor in the vegetables, so don't skip this step). Cover with stock or water, season to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1/2 hour. Add chard or spinach and cook for 10 minutes longer. Let cool for a bit and blend with a hand blender.


Note: Feel free to leave out the greens if you think it will freak your kids out or if you want a mellower, more potato/leek soup type flavor.

בתאבון


(photo credit: Glenda Kay's Gifts. I think you can actually buy a doll like that)

9 comments:

Leora said...

No potatoes and no dairy! I like that. I saw the word bisque, and I thought "dairy" (I'm lactose intolerant and for other reasons I use little dairy), but I see that's optional.

I wonder if my kids would try it. I would probably use collards or kale instead of the swiss chard.

Commenter Abbi said...

Hmm, I thought "bisque" meant any smooth soup, not necessarily dairy. I hope it won't put pple off!

This recipe takes kindly to substitutions and improvisation. We unfortunately don't get collards or kale here in Israel. Chard is the best we can do.

Robin said...

I thought bisque meant "with cream and sherry". Whatever it means, this soup sounds delicious, with or without the dairy, I'll definitely be making it very soon.

Love the cauliflower sheep, too.

Commenter Abbi said...

Robin it probably does, though the cauliflower mysteriously makes it taste like there is cream in it. A splash of white wine wouldn't hurt it as well (who aside from directors of "Arsenic and Old Lace" revivals keep sherry in the house anymore?

Mrs. S. said...

Sounds delicious, and I enjoyed your disclaimer! :-)

Robin said...

LOL. I never have sherry either. I'll use either white wine or else mirin (Asian seasoning sauce, a bit sweet, works pretty well as a substitute).

I think I'm going to make this tonight now that it's finally getting cooler.

Robin said...

Several days later than originally planned (story of my life) but I finally have this simmering on the stove as we speak :).

Commenter Abbi said...

Robin, better late than never! I hope you make a big batch and freeze some. It freezes well

Risa Tzohar said...

Looks good, I've also started eating soup again this week. What is chard in Hebrew?

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