Cauliflower Soup with Crispy Bacon

A simple cauliflower soup with few ingredients

It's easy to make a soup more complicated than necessary. I keep this cauliflower soup quite simple.

The base consists of cauliflower, onion, and garlic that are simmered in chicken stock until the cauliflower is completely tender. Then everything is blended into a smooth soup before the cream is stirred in.

The result is a mild and creamy soup where the cauliflower remains the main flavor.

I use chicken stock instead of just water because it adds a bit more depth to the soup. At the same time, it's mild enough not to overpower the cauliflower.

If you're using chicken bouillon, just dilute it with water according to the strength of the bouillon you are using.

Let the cauliflower become really tender

When the cauliflower is to be blended into a completely smooth soup, it's important that it cooks long enough.

After about 12 to 15 minutes, the florets should be tender enough that a knife goes through them with little resistance.

This also makes it much easier to achieve a smooth and creamy consistency with an immersion blender.

How thick the soup becomes will depend on the size of the cauliflower head. Therefore, about five deciliters of stock is a good starting point, but not necessarily an absolute amount.

Once the soup is blended smooth and the cream is added, the consistency can be adjusted with a bit more stock or water.

It's easier to thin out a thick soup than to try to rescue a soup that has already become too thin.

The bacon provides contrast

The cauliflower soup itself is mild, so the bacon on top makes a significant difference.

I fry the bacon until crispy and then remove it from the pan. But the fat left behind stays.

Some small cauliflower florets that I saved from the beginning then go straight into the bacon fat. They only need to be sautéed quickly until they get a bit of color.

This way, I get two different textures from the same main ingredient.

The cauliflower in the soup becomes completely soft, while the cauliflower on top gets a bit of a crust and more chewiness.

Together with the crispy bacon, this ensures that the soup is not just a bowl of uniform, smooth consistency.

Season at the very end

I wait until the final adjustment of salt until the soup is finished.

Both chicken stock and bacon can contain quite a bit of salt, so it's easy to oversalt if you taste too early.

When the soup is blended smooth, the cream is stirred in, and the consistency is right, I season with salt and a good amount of freshly ground black pepper.

Black pepper pairs especially well with both cauliflower, cream, and bacon.

Cauliflower soup for two

This recipe is intended for two servings and works well as a simple dinner.

You can also serve smaller portions as a starter if you're cooking for more people.

I prefer it served immediately while the soup is warm, the bacon is still crispy, and the sautéed cauliflower florets have some texture.

It doesn't take many ingredients. Cauliflower, onion, garlic, stock, a bit of cream, and bacon are all you need.

And right here, I think it's a good example that a simple dish doesn't have to taste boring.