Cauliflower soup

Since the weather is getting worse everywhere in Europe ... I share a soup recipe. Yes, we had soup recently, and no surprise as here the weather has been very cold for a couple of days. It is light, delicate and really good for diet ... if eaten alone. If you wonder about the dish, yes it is another Coquet from our service. Wonderful Limoges!

Serves: 4 as starter
FlexiPoints: 1

Suggested wine: probably not needed
Special equipment: A food mill and a mixer.

Ingredients:
500g cauliflower
2 potatoes
1 leek
1 tbsp oil
1 onion
2 dry laurel leaves
1 liter light vegetable stock
50g pine-nuts
Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredient replacement:

Ingredient note: none

How-to:
1. Finely chop the onion. Remove the green part of the leek and slice the rest. Peel the potatoes and chop them in small pieces. Clean and chop the cauliflower in small/medium pieces.
2. Sauté the onion in the oil until it starts coloring or 2’. Add the leek and the laurel leaves. Sauté for 1’ more stirring continuously. Add the stock, the potatoes and the cauliflower. Let simmer for 20’.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Maker a cream of the soup with a mixer and pass it through a food mill in order to have a nice creamy consistency. If the soup looks somewhat watery, let it simmer a bit.
4. Serve warm with the pine-nuts and pepper on top.

Lentils and celeriac soup

(Photo@TheFoodTraveller.com - Canon PowerShot G2)

2007 is coming and it is an italian tradition to eat first thing in a new year lentils and (at least in my family) cotechino. There are multiple ways of preparing lentils, one of my favourite is a variation on a classic lentil and farro soup originally from Tuscany. I have here replaced the vegetable stock simply with water and added little cubes of celeriac to make the taste lighter and less rustic.


Serves: 2 as a main course or 4 as a side dish
FlexiPoints: 4.5 or 2

Suggested wine: If you put it next to a cotechino, my first pick would probably be a good barolo. Otherwise, you could try a Pinot Noir ... I have recently tried a nice Belgian one ...

Ingredients:
- 100g mixed dried (green, orange, brown and broken) lentils
- 1 big garlic clove
- 5 fresh sage leaves
- 5 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 130g celeriac
- 1 liter of cold water
- Salt, pepper and oil as needed

How-to:
1. Rinse the lentils in cold water.
2. Chop finely the garlic. Dice the celeriac in small cubes. Slice the sage leaves in large pieces.
3. Put all the ingredients in a soup pot. Season with only some oil and let it simmer until all the water has evaporated. You will need to stir occasionally and reduce the heat to keep the simmering low.
4. Remove from the heat. Season with pepper and salt to taste. Stir well and let it cool down.
5. Warm it up before serving in lukewarm cups.