Cajun Cauliflower Soup
My Uncle Dan is hands down the best cook I know. He grew up in a French-Creole family hunting and fishing pretty much anything that is native to Louisiana. And while he is a foodie, he doesn’t use recipes. When you call trying to replicate that fantastic dish he made, he tells you to put a little of this and a big dash of that. His food and inspiration is going to be a mainstay on this site.
This soup was inspired by the story of one he made my Mom on a trip home for Thanksgiving. She described it as savory, addictive and filled with that strong cajun spicing. I think my version is successful but since I haven’t had his I don’t have a basis for comparison. It is creamy, hearty and the spice is just right. Prepping the veggies is the longest part so I like to just set up the food processor to chop and dump in the pot. Feel free to make a double batch and freeze it. It also makes a great sauce. I recently threw a leftover cup on some turkey meatballs and cauliflower rice for a delectably rich topping.
Cajun Cauliflower Soup
Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 35 minutes Servings: 6 bowls
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium size onion ~ chopped
4 stalks of celery ~ chopped
1 small green bell pepper ~ chopped
1 medium carrot ~ chopped
5 cloves of garlic ~minced
1 head of cauliflower ~ roughly chopped
1.5 tablespoons of cajun seasoning ~ use your favorite or recipe below
3 tablespoons flour
1 quart of chicken stock ~ or veggie if you prefer
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
sour cream ~ garnish
In your favorite soup pot melt butter and sauté onion and celery until translucent. Add carrot, green pepper and cauliflower and cook 4 minutes more. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Add half the cajun seasoning and cook on low for 10 minutes.
Coat the cooked vegetables with flour evenly and stir to incorporate. Add stock, milk, cream and rest of the cajun seasoning. Simmer for 15 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender or in a traditional blender. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream.
Cajun Spice
3 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon basil
1/2 tablespoon thyme
1/2 tablespoon celery seed
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon white pepper
1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
Combine to use as cajun seasoning in traditional dishes or simply on your breakfast potatoes. Other brands we use Paul Prudhomme Redfish or Seafood Magic, Slap ya Mama, Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning.
