Soup of the Day: Curried-Cream-of-Cauliflower-and-Apple Soup

I was lucky if the soup was chunky, like the vegetable soup she would make with big chunks of potato and carrots.  That would mean I could slip off my socks and surreptitiously slide the larger chunks of vegetables onto my foot then lower my leg down for our Dalmatian to lick clean, all the while happily wagging her tail, thumping it against the leg of the table.

Then, once it was mostly just broth remaining, I was dismissed with a sigh and boy did that dog love me.  If it was a puréed soup, I was out of luck.

I’ve grown up since then, and now not only make soup, but use lots of my mom’s recipes.  Funny.  This is one of my favorites, probably because I really like vegetable curry.  Don’t be turned off by the fact it has apples in it.  You can omit the garnish of apples and purée the remainder with the cauliflower so you just taste the sweetness, and not necessarily discern that it’s apple.

Curried-Cream-of-Cauliflower-and-Apple Soup

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 Tbls. butter
1 cup onions, chopped
3 tsp curry powder
3/4 tsp saffron threads (it’s just fine without, as well)
2 cups 1/4″ diced Golden Delicious apples, peeled
4 cups small cauliflower florets (1 medium head)
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper
1 Tbls. minced chives

Melt butter in a pot over medium/low heat, add onions, 2 tsp curry powder, and 1/2 tsp saffron, and sweat for 2 minutes, stirring often.  Add 1 cup apple, sweat for another 5 minutes.  Add cauliflower and chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Simmer until the cauliflower is tender, about 20 minutes.  Add the cream, and cook for 3 more minutes.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer the soup in batches to a blender and purée until very smooth.  Keep warm until ready to serve.
Place remaining apple with 1 Tbls. of water in a pan over medium heat, add 1 tsp curry powder and 1/4 tsp saffron, and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix well, cover and cook for 3 minutes.  Stir in and keep warm.  Garnish bowls of soup with the curried apple and chive.