I think I’ve said the adage “Do as I Say and Not as I Do” many times here. Please listen to this advice. Not once, but TWICE I added the sliced sausage to the mix before blending the soup. I’m a bit daft that way, sometimes. So take my advice, and DO NOT ADD THE SAUSAGE to the soup until after you’ve blended it, OK? Otherwise you have to keep fishing it out of everything and placing it in a bowl. Good, we got that out of the way now.
This creamy soup was absolutely delicious, and nary a potato in sight for it which is the usual method to make it. Instead, cauliflower is first roasted and then blended with the stock to make a rich base for spinach and sausage. The flavors in this are complex and dreamy. I will make this again and not forget my own advice. 😉
p.s. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Caldo Verde (Sausage and Spinach Soup with Cauliflower)
Adapted from “Cauldo-Verde” by Bogre on the Food52 website
1 pound of cauliflower florets (from 1 small head)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil (plus extra for roasting the cauliflower)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
7 ounces (1/2 link) of a smoked turkey Kielbasa
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 to 6 cups homemade or low sodium chicken broth
5 ounce bag baby spinach
Large handful Italian parsley, chopped
Large handful of cilantro, chopped
1/8 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 small lemon)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss the cauliflower florets with cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper, and some good splashes of olive oil. Spread in a single layer in a roasting pan and roast in the oven for 30 minutes, flipping at the halfway mark. Remove from oven and set aside.
In a soup pot or Dutch over medium-high heat, saute the onion and Kielbasa in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until onions are tender and sausage is browned, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir for about a minute more. Remove the mixture to a bowl. Now. Do not forget this step.
Add the roasted cauliflower and chicken broth to the pot (not the Kielbasa yet!), bring to a boil, reduce heat then simmer for about a half hour. Remove from the heat and puree in a blender or food processor (or use an immersion blender, which I don’t have.)
Return the blended soup to the pot over low heat. Add the sausage and onion mixture, the spinach, and the parsley and heat for about another 10 minutes until the spinach is wilted and soft. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped cilantro and lemon juice. Ladle into bowls and serve with thick slices of crusty, buttered bread. Welcome to my mouth, you complex creamy soup!
This is on my foodie bucket list to make….. I was actually going to try Emerils before adapting it to my own taste. Will have to try this one as well
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Thank you so much! This was an interesting, complex-flavored soup that was also very filling!
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Sounds absolutely delish!!
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Thank you Sam, it was very very good!
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Wow, KR that looks sooooo good! Amazing.
Hugs! 😀
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PS: Just had to share on LinkedIn. 🙂
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Thanks much Teagan, you rock! 🙂
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I’m becoming an expert in removing things out of pots and pans. Your soup looks good, I like the idea of the roasted cauliflower.
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I know, isn’t that sad? I can’t believe I added it twice before blending. It was sad enough I did it the first time, lol. Thank you Gerlinde.
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It’s 75 and sunny in my neck of the woods, but we’re supposed to be in the 40s for a day or two next week (with apologies to my northeastern friends). This soup is the ticket! Bookmarked! Thank you!
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No apologies needed here in the Pacific Northwest! We spent the day doing yard work. It was about 60 here today but my remote thermometer on the deck read 80 degrees in the sun earlier. Say what??? Thank you Adam for your nice comment. 🙂
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It looks delicious, I think the sausage makes this soup! Perfect time for soup, it’s been cold here all day with 70 mpg winds and sometimes I think it might be more that 70. Happy Valentine’s Day!
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Thank you Michael, sorry you are having such crummy weather. Happy Valentine’s Day to you too!
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Wow!!!
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I just made a leek and spud soup…I wish I had seen this first! It looks amazing 🙂
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Thank you Rory! Leek and spuds sound delicious to me right now!
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Mmm this looks so yummy!!
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Thank you Mel! It was delish!
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Yum! I love your roasted cauliflower! Great soup ingredients.
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Thank you Mimi!
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