A Flavor for Life

I had a colorful childhood driven in part by the plenitude of superstitions and customs in Korean culture.

Some were jests, like the joke that if you laughed while you cried, you’d grow a furry arse.

Others were rules that were to be observed fastidiously (see fan death)

Others were simply traditions.

One of those traditions was when our family would gather on the hottest day of the summer over steaming hot bowls of stewed cornish hen stuffed with sweet rice, dates, and pine nuts, because the logical thing to do is to fight heat with heat … obviously.

Those were happy summer days. Hot. But happy.

Contrary to tradition, during the recent heat wave, all I’ve been craving are chilled, light dishes … like this chilled cauliflower soup. It is refreshing, rich, aromatic, and light. And in the absence of the Korean fortitude to slurp down a steaming hot bowl of soup on a steaming hot day, it will still do the trick and keep you cool.

Chilled cauliflower soup
Serves 4-6
Cooking time: 45 min
Chilling time: 60 min

This soup makes a great light summer meal by itself or with a salad or some crostini on the side. The addition of toasted pine nuts make the soup surprisingly aromatic and rich, and the coconut milk makes the soup interesting. If you don’t like coconut milk, feel free to substitute with cream.

Ingredients
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
6-8 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
4 shallots, peeled and roughly diced
1/2 c pine nuts
1 head of cauliflower, cleaned, cored, and segmented
16 oz chicken stock
1 bay leaf
8 oz coconut milk
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Flavored oil to finish (truffle oil, hazelnut oil, or olive oil work well here)
Optional: creme fraiche

Special equipment
Immersion blender or blender

1. In a large pot, melt the butter and the olive oil over medium-high heat (~1 min)
2. Lower the heat to medium and saute the garlic until golden brown (~2-3 min). Add the shallots and cook until creamy (~3-4 min)
3. Add the pine nuts and toast until they are golden brown (~3-5 min)
4. Add the cauliflower and stir to cover in the butter/ olive oil and let the cauliflower cook in the pan for about 10 min, giving an occasional stir
5. Add the chicken stock and the bay leaf and let simmer over medium/ medium-low heat for about 20 min
6. Remove the pot from the heat and remove the bay leaf
7. Puree the soup in the pot using an immersion blender, adding coconut milk until the soup reaches the desired consistency. If you’re using a blender, pour the soup into a blender and use a towel to cover the top of the blender while you puree to let the steam escape. Puree until smooth.
8. Pass the soup through a fine sieve into a chilled bowl or an ice bath and season to taste. Refrigerate for 60 minutes.

Serve chilled, with a drop of flavored oil or a dollop of creme fraiche