Cauliflower soup with sautéed morel mushrooms, truffle oil, and crushed walnuts
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
½ cup white wine
4 ½ cups chicken stock
1 ½ pounds cauliflower, stemmed and chopped
¼ cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper
12 medium fresh morel mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons truffle oil
1/8 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely crushed
2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and sweat the onions and garlic until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and reduce for 5 minutes. Add the stock and the cauliflower and simmer covered until the cauliflower is falling apart tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Return the soup to the saucepan, add the cream, nutmeg, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep the soup warm on the side. Meanwhile, cook the mushrooms. Heat a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil; then add the morel mushrooms and sauté for about 5 minutes. Flip the mushrooms periodically to cook evenly; season with salt and pepper. Remove the mushrooms and drain on a paper towel. Ladle the warm soup into two soup bowls. Place some morel mushrooms in a mound in the middle of the bowl so they sit above the level of the soup. Drizzle truffle oil over the top and sprinkle with the walnuts and chives. Serve immediately.
Yield: 2 servings with extra soup for leftovers
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Inactive Prep Time: none
Ease of Preparation: easy