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cauliflower soup czech květáková polévka recipe
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Květáková polévka – Czech Cauliflower Soup

Czech květáková polévka is one of the best cauliflower soups ever. Super creamy, silky smooth, and although this recipe doesn’t call for any cheese or bacon, the soup is full of flavor.
Course Soup
Cuisine Czech
Keyword Bramborová polévka, cauliflower, czech garlic soup, květák
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 5 people

Ingredients

  • 1 cauliflower mid-sized
  • 1 onion large
  • 5 cups (1,2 l) water
  • ¾ stick (85 g) butter unsalted
  • ⅓ cup (45 g) all-purpose flour
  • ⅔ cup (160 g) heavy cream more than 30 % milk fat
  • salt
  • ground pepper
  • 2 pinches nutmeg freshly ground
  • spring onion to sprinkle the top of soup while served

Instructions

  • Remove the cauliflower's outer leaves. Take cauliflower apart into small florets. Slice the primary stem and the smaller stems into pieces whose edge should be about ½-inch (1 cm) in size. Wash the prepared cauliflower thoroughly in cold water.
  • Put the cauliflower in a pot, pour in water, season with 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and cook until the cauliflower is tender to bite (al dente). It takes about 5-7 minutes, depending on the cauliflower pieces' size.
  • Take ⅓ of the cauliflower away, put these pieces immediately in a bowl with icy water. You stop the cooking process this way, and cauliflower pieces won’t be slushy. You will put this cauliflower in the soup at the end.
  • Transfer the rest of the cauliflower to a clean bowl carefully. You will mix it in a soup later. You will use the clear cauliflower broth for the soup in a few minutes.

Make roux:

  • Peel the onion and chop it roughly. In a pot with a thick bottom (I love my dutch oven), melt 1/2 stick of butter over medium heat. Add onion and fry for 5 minutes while stirring. The onion should be lightly golden.
  • Reduce heat to low, add all-purpose flour, cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Get cauliflower broth on hand. Start adding the broth to the roux in small batches while whisking properly to avoid lumps. Once you’ve added about a half of the broth, you can add the rest at once and mix it in.
  • Add the cauliflower florets, don’t forget to save those ⅓ cauliflower chunks which you’ve put in cold water before! Bring to a boil, reduce heat, take the lid off the pot and allow the soup to simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the soup from the stove. Pour in the heavy cream and stir it. Add ground pepper, a pinch or two of freshly ground nutmeg, salt to your liking. Do not cook anymore!
  • Puree cauliflower in the soup with an immersion blender properly. Add the remaining butter and let it melt in a soup. Add the ⅓ of the cauliflower you’ve set aside earlier, let it heat up in a hot soup, and serve.
  • As the final step, sprinkle the served soup with finely chopped green herbs (spring onion or chive are some good choices).

Notes

  1. Makes 4-6 yields.
  2. The roux does the heavy lifting for you: the cauliflower soup will be creamy with a velvety texture and thickened. It’s important to cook the roux for at least 15-20 minutes until it perfectly combines with the soup and its floury taste disappears.
  3. Use freshly ground nutmeg to spice up the cauliflower soup at the end. Nutmeg is better than mace.