White beans and cauliflower make a great pair, especially in a creamy soup like this one, from Jill Fergus of Feed the Swimmers (@feedtheswimmers). She calls it: "Vegetarian comfort food at its finest." We couldn't agree more!
- 1 head cauliflower, broken into florets, stem chopped
- About 2 cups cooked cannellini beans (RG Note: we recommend Rancho Gordo Marcella beans)
- Olive oil, for cooking and finishing
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1/2-1 cup unsweetened plant milk
- About 2 cups vegetable stock, Better Than Bouillon, or Yondu and water
- Bay leaf
- Kale or similar, shredded
- Herbs of choice
- Parm rind or nutritional yeast
- Sea salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- Grated cheese of choice for garnish
- Roasted tomatoes for garnish (see below)
- If you’ve cooked your beans, reserve about 1 cup of the pot liquor.
- Cauliflower gets steamed until very tender. You may also roast it until edges begin to brown for a flavor bump.
- While cauliflower steams: in a large pot, onion and celery get sautéed in olive oil, with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper (s&p), until sweaty and translucent. Garlic optional. Add to bowl with steamed cauliflower and purée, using plant milk to thin it a bit.
- Combine all back into the large pot with the addition of vegetable stock (Better than Bouillon or Yondu and water just as good) and any bean pot liquor (you'll want 2 to 3 cups of liquid total, depending on how soupy you prefer it), a bay leaf and herbs of choice. If not vegan, toss in a Parmesan rind. If vegan, you may add nutritional yeast. Add greens. Stir. Adjust liquid, salt and pepper.
- Simmer for about 15+ minutes adjusting liquid to suit your taste. Garnish with roasted tomatoes. Enjoy!
RG Note: The best tomatoes are “in season,” but out-of-season Romas would work fine. Cut tomatoes in half and place cut-side up on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and fresh thyme; cook them in a low oven, at about 275 degrees F, for an hour or two. The tomatoes should be somewhat dry with wrinkled skins.