Creamy Cauliflower and Crawfish Soup

This rich cauliflower soup feels even more luxurious with crawfish tails added to the mix.

Creamy Cauliflower and Crawfish Soup
 
Makes About 2 Quarts
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • 5 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 large head)
  • 1 medium onion, diced (about 2 cups)
  • 1 medium russet potato, peeled and diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 cup dry sherry
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 4 teaspoons chicken bouillon paste
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1¾ cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1 pound crawfish tails, drained and rinsed
  • Garnish: heavy whipping cream, chopped fresh chives, hot sauce, ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. In a large enamel-coated cast-iron Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add cauliflower, onion, and potato; cook until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.
  2. Add garlic to vegetables, and cook for 1 minute. Add 3 cups water, sherry, lemon juice, bouillon paste, salt, and hot sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and cook for 35 minutes.
  3. Add cream to vegetable mixture, stirring to combine. Remove from heat, and using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Place a large fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl; strain soup, pressing with a spatula, discarding solids. (Alternatively, transfer soup to the container of a blender; remove center piece of lid to let steam escape, and place a clean towel over opening in lid to avoid splatters. Process until smooth.)
  4. Return soup to pot. Stir in crawfish. Cook over medium-low heat until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Garnish with cream, chives, hot sauce, and pepper, if desired.