This soup is nice without the addition of garlic purée, marvelous with it. If you like, add short shreds of Savoy cabbage in place of some of the cauliflower, or make Savoy-cabbage soup with poached garlic purée instead.
Recipe information
Yield
for 8 cups of finished soup, serving 6 or more
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the broth to a boil, and add salt to taste. Stir in cauliflower and scallion pieces, and return to a steady perking boil. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender. Stir in the poached garlic purée and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. Add pepper, taste, and adjust the seasonings. Serve right away in warm bowls, with freshly grated cheese, extra-virgin olive oil, and other garnishes (see page 60).
Cheese Rinds: A Reward for the Thrifty
Step 2
Don’t ever throw away the rinds of your Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano. Those rinds, Italian know well, add a subtle richness to long-cooking soups and sauces.
Step 3
In my kitchen, I keep a zippered freezer bag in a drawer in the refrigerator where I stow any sizable piece of rind with a good layer of cheese. Stored airtight, they will last indefinitely.
Step 4
Before adding them to a dish, rinse rind pieces well; scrub or scrape off any mold or residue.
Step 5
When the soup or sauce is finished, remove the rind piece (it will be soft and chewy), or leave it in the soup as a surprise for some lucky person at your table.
