Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Chimichurri and Poblano Creme Fraiche

The original plan for the night was skirt or flank steak with a chimichurri (An Argentinean sauce/condiment, similar to pesto, that is popular throughout South America. The basic version uses fresh parsley, oregano, garlic, oil and vinegar and a little bit of chili pepper) obviously Derek's idea but it received the "OK" from me. However, as I sat through the day, feeling sick and sleepy, all I could think of was soup - and the last thing I wanted was steak. I wanted something "creamy" but not creamy - more like a potato soup and less of a cream of broccoli soup. I knew it was fate when the second recipe that I came across when I typed in "soup" into food52.com was this Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Chimichurri and Poblano Creme Fraiche. Perfect! The smooth cauliflower would satisfy my craving for creamy/smooth and the chimichurri oddly went right along the lines of what Derek had wanted.

We followed the recipe for the most part and I was quite interested to see how it would turn out.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup:

1 head cauliflower, sliced, including the core
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 leek, light green parts only, diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic, chopped
2 ribs of celery, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chicken broth
2 1/2 - 3 cups water
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons heavy cream

1.Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the slices of cauliflower on a dry cookie sheet and roast until tender, about 15-20 minutes (we did it for about 40 minutes - maybe the shorter cook time would be sufficient if you cut the cauliflower up into smaller pieces).

2.In a large heavy pot, heat the butter and oil until hot. Saute the onion, leek, garlic, and celery in the butter oil mixture until soft and very aromatic. Add the salt. Add the roasted cauliflower and toss with a large spoon until the cauliflower is completely covered with the onion mixture. Cook for another 2 minutes.

3.Add the broth and water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes. Puree in a blender until fairly smooth. If you want it completely smooth, you'll need to use a food mill, but having some texture to it adds to the rustic nature of the roasted flavor. Pour back into the pot and reheat to a simmer. Add the parmesan cheese and cream. Stir in the chimichurri sauce until well incorporated. Serve hot in soup bowls. Drizzle some poblano creme fraiche over the soup.

Chimichurri Sauce and Poblano Creme Fraiche:

1 serrano chili, seeded, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped or smashed
2 cups cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons mint leaves
5-6 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 poblano or pasilla pepper, roasted, peeled and seeded
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons heavy cream (I used 1 Tablespoon)
2 tablespoons creme fraiche (see NOTE)
pinches sugar

1.To make the chimichurri, place the first 7 ingredients in a blender and process until finely chopped.

2.To make the poblano creme fraiche, combine the next seven ingredients starting wtih the roasted poblano or pasilla pepper in a blender and process until very smooth. Once smooth, drizzle the creme fraiche on the soup.

NOTE: I did not have creme fraiche and did not want to buy a whole tub for just 2 Tablespoons so I saw a "vegan substitute" and thought I'd give it a try. Given the fact that I used real cream cheese, the substitute was no longer vegan, but I figured the components should work together...I used 2 T. cream cheese, a small squirt of lemon juice, and 1 T. almond milk - mix them together and there was my version of creme fraiche - it worked.

The cauliflower soup before the chimichurri was a little boring - as expected. But once you add the chimichurri - POW - it was a total burst of delicious flavor. Perfectly balanced on the spice side. We got ours pretty smooth using a hand blender - and I liked the slight texture that it did have.

I think you could do this without the poblano creme fraiche - not because it wasn't good, but rather because the soup alone packs such a great punch of flavor, anything else is just extra. However, it was very good and would be a nice spread on a sandwich or a dip for some vegetables.

This, to me, was the perfect compromise for Derek and I - and althought he didn't get his steak (he cooked a piece of salmon in addition), he was pretty pleased with the meal and so was I.