CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH BLUE CHEESE FRITTERS

Cauliflower Soup with Blue Cheese Fritters image

Sometimes an idea for a recipe pops into my head and even before I make it, I have a pretty good idea on what the results will be like. To say I was happy with the results would be a serious understatement. Soup is comforting, soothing, soul-warming - not something that chefs normally day-dream about. This soup was a different story. It may be the single greatest soup I have every made.

Provided by Chef John

Categories Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes Soup Recipes Vegetable Soup Recipes Cauliflower

Time 1h30m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

¼ cup water
2 tablespoons butter
1 pinch salt
¼ cup flour
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
salt to taste
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
2 cups water
2 cups chicken stock
½ cup heavy cream
1 pinch ground nutmeg, or more to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste
2 ounces cold firm blue cheese, crumbled
2 cups vegetable oil for frying
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, or more to taste

Steps:

Stir 1/4 cup water, 2 tablespoons butter, and salt together in a pot; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and whisk flour into butter mixture until a paste-like dough forms, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer dough to a bowl to cool, 5 to 10 minutes. Whisk egg into cooled dough until completely incorporated. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a pot over medium-low heat. Cook and stir onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt in hot butter until onion is soft and translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add cauliflower, 2 cups water, and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until cauliflower is tender, about 30 minutes.
Puree soup using an immersion/stick blender until smooth. Stir cream, nutmeg, cayenne, and a pinch of salt into soup. Reduce heat to low to keep soup warm while making the fritters.
Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Fold crumbled blue cheese into chilled fritter batter until cheese is coated with dough. Spoon dough into a teaspoon and transfer to a second teaspoon to form a fritter. Drop fritters into oil and cook in the preheated oil until the outside is golden brown and cheese is melted on the inside, 2 to 3 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and top with fritters and chives.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 402 calories, Carbohydrate 18 g, Cholesterol 108.5 mg, Fat 34 g, Fiber 4.4 g, Protein 9.4 g, SaturatedFat 15.4 g, Sodium 694.1 mg, Sugar 5.2 g