{ Serves 4 }
The amazing thing about cauliflower is how creamy it is when it’s pureed. It’s luxurious, smooth, and rich. Also known as Jerusalem artichokes, sunchokes add an interesting flavor to this soup, and are well worth seeking out.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/4 red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound sunchokes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (use straightaway or place them in some lemon water until you use them, or else they’ll go brown)
1/4 cauliflower, cut into chunks, stems included
Vegetable broth
Juice of 1 lemon
Agave nectar
Maldon or other flaky salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the onion and garlic and sweat for 4 to 5 minutes, until they become slightly translucent, taking care not to let them burn. (Sweating is a bit of a chef’s term—but a good one to know—for cooking something over low heat in some fat. As a result, the onion and garlic will become beautifully mellow and sweet without any browning.)
2. Add the sunchokes and cauliflower and stir around for a few seconds to infuse the flavors of the onion and garlic oil into the vegetables and make them more intense. Then add just enough vegetable broth to cover. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until the cauliflower and sunchokes are fork tender.
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cauliflower and sunchokes to a blender and add a bit of the liquid from the pot. Blend until completely smooth. Then, depending on what consistency you prefer, add more of the cooking liquid from the pot. This soup is meant to be thick and comforting, so be sparing with the liquid. See how you go.
4. Return the soup to the pan to reheat and season with the lemon juice, a touch of agave, salt, and pepper. Pour the soup into bowls and add a drizzle of olive oil to finish it off.
