Silly about Soup

I gotta share three amazing soup recipes with everyone out there. We got the first two off of the Smitten Kitchen Web site:

Silky Cauliflower Soup
Recipe from David Lieberman

1 head cauliflower
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

This was an excellent soup with a great texture. The next one was so unique and good that we have been dreaming about it ever since.

Roasted Garlic Soup with Parmesan Cheese
Bon Appetit, February 1999

26 garlic cloves (unpeeled)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 1/4 cups sliced onions
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
18 garlic cloves, peeled
3 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
4 lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place 26 garlic cloves in small glass baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake until garlic is golden brown and tender, about 45 minutes. Cool. Squeeze garlic between fingertips to release cloves. Transfer cloves to small bowl.

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and thyme and cook until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Add roasted garlic and 18 raw garlic cloves and cook 3 minutes. Add chicken stock; cover and simmer until garlic is very tender, about 20 minutes. Working in batches, purée soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to saucepan; add cream and bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat, stirring occasionally.)
Divide grated cheese among 4 bowls and ladle soup over. Squeeze juice of 1 lemon wedge into each bowl and serve.

Serves 4.

This soup was amazing! The flavor was very integrated and the garlic was not overbearing at all.

This last one I whipped up today. I wish I would have measured stuff because it turned out really well. It was just a simple lentil soup that went something like this:

Olive oil
1.5 t Mustard Seeds
1.5 t Fenugreek Seeds
1T Minced Garlic
1t Ground Ginger
1 t Cumin seeds
6 Cardamom pods
1 chopped onion
4 Chopped carrots
3 Celery stalks
2 Cups mixed red and brown lentils.
5 C Water
1T Salt
2 bay leaves
Chopped Cilantro

Pour a healthy amount of olive oil into a heavy bottomed pan. Pour in mustard and fenugreek seeds. With lid on the pan, heat the oil until you hear the seeds start to pop. When you hear the popping, throw in the garlic and ginger and fry for a few more minutes. Add cumin seeds and cardamom pods and fry for another minute. Add onions, carrots and celery and fry for 5 minutes. Add water, lentils, salt, and bay leaves, bring to a boil then cook on low for 45 minutes. Blend slightly, pull out cardamom pods, stir in cilantro, and serve with sour cream and bread. It will be so darn good and you won't know why.