WWW.FREI-STYLE.COMCreamy Cauliflower Fennel Soup with Tofu Croutons
Ingredients
For the soup
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 fennel bulb (about 300 gr (10.5 oz.))
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp honey
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 cauliflower (about 700 gr (24.7 oz.))
- 1200 ml (5 cups) vegetable stock
- 100 ml (1/2 cup) cream
For the croutons
- 1 slice bread
- 100 gr (3.5 oz.) firm tofu
- 1 Tbsp butter
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- chili flakes (optional)
- fennel fronds (to garnish)
Equipment: large pot, immersion blender or countertop blender, frying pan, wooden spoon, knife and cutting board
Instructions
Prepare the vegetables
- 1.Peel and chop the onion. Peel the garlic and chop it finely or press it.
- 2.Wash the fennel, pick off the delicate fronds and set them aside for garnishing. Remove the hard core and cut the bulb into cubes.
- 3.Wash the cauliflower, remove the green leaves and the stalk and divide the head into florets.
Cook the soup
- 1.Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sweat the onion, fennel and garlic for 5 to 7 minutes without letting them brown.
- 2.Add the fennel seeds, salt, honey and pepper, stir everything and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes so the flavors can develop.
- 3.Add the cauliflower florets to the pot and pour in the vegetable stock until everything is covered.
- 4.Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until the cauliflower is soft.
Blend
- 1.Take the pot off the heat and add the cream.
- 2.Blend the soup with an immersion blender right in the pot or in a countertop blender until completely smooth. For a chunkier soup, blend only briefly.
- 3.Reheat the soup without letting it boil again and season with salt and pepper.
Fry the croutons
- 1.Cut the bread and the tofu into small cubes.
- 2.Heat the butter in a pan and fry the bread and tofu cubes over medium heat, turning them now and then, until golden brown and crispy.
- 3.Season with salt, pepper, fennel seeds and chili flakes if you like.
Serve
- 1.Ladle the soup into bowls, scatter the croutons on top, garnish with fennel fronds and serve right away.
Notes
Tip from my kitchen: in the photos I drizzled a spoonful of cream over the soup in a swirl before serving, so simply keep 2 Tbsp back for that. Press the tofu well before cubing it, then it turns crispy faster in the pan. Toasted pumpkin seeds also taste great as a topping instead of bread. For a vegan soup I replace the honey with maple syrup, the cream with oat or soy cream and the butter with olive oil.
Nutrition per serving: 300 kcal · 10 g protein
MY NOTES
Ten more easy vegan dinners, free: frei-style.com/ebook