Cauliflower and Almond Cream Soup with Harissa Butter, Almonds and Dill

A creamy lightly-spiced cauliflower soup with robust flavor from toasted almonds, slight heat from harissa-infused browned butter and a bright earthiness from a sprinkling of dill as garnish. I think you’ll love this warm earthy soup in the winter months!

I love a classic mildly flavored cream soup, French-style, but for this recipe I wanted something with a little flair. Cauliflower can really flounder in flavorlessness! I turned to Spain for inspiration, where almonds sometimes serve as the base of a soup (almond gazpacho), and pulled in some extra oomph from across the Mediterranean (specifically, harissa, a North African chili paste). The result was something wonderfully balanced, startlingly delicious, and beautiful when dished in bowls and garnished.

Cauliflower and Almond Cream Soup with Harissa Butter, Almonds and Dill

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons butter

• 2 teaspoons harissa paste, plus more to taste

• 1 small onion (or half a medium-sized onion), chopped

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon cumin

• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

• kosher salt and pepper

• 1 large head of cauliflower (about 2.5-3 pounds), washed, trimmed of stem and leaves, and cut into 1-inch florets

• 4 cups stock or broth (chicken or vegetable), plus additional water

• 1/2 cup sliced, toasted almonds, plus more for garnish

• 2-3 tablespoons chopped dill, for garnish

Directions:

1. Make the harissa brown butter. In a large pot or Dutch oven set over medium heat, melt the butter and continue cooking until it turns a light golden brown. Stir in harissa paste. Pour off 2-3 tablespoons of the harissa brown butter into a small bowl and set aside, leaving roughly 1 tablespoon in the pot.

2. Build the soup. Return pot to medium heat and add in chopped onion, spices, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir until onions soften and begin to turn translucent. Add cauliflower, stock and 1/2 cup almonds and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to a simmer, cover, and let cook until the cauliflower is completely softened, about 30 minutes.

3. Puree and season. When the cauliflower is soft, remove the pot from the heat and puree the soup until creamy, adding additional water as needed to achieve a smooth creamy consistency. An immersion blender is a great tool for this task, but you can also ladle the soup in batches and puree it in a blender or vitamix. Just be careful while you’re doing this with a hot liquid, and don’t fill the blender all the way or it will explode out! Taste the soup and adjust seasoning as needed.

4. Garnish and serve. Return the pot to a low heat and heat through before serving. To serve: drizzle with harissa butter, a sprinkling of reserved almonds, and a smattering of dill. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes:

• Bolder Flavor: Add 1-2 more teaspoons of harissa, and up to 1/4 teaspoon more of cinnamon, cumin and coriander, for a spicier, bolder flavor.

• Harissa Paste: Most grocery stores stock this paste, but I found it easily at Trader Joe’s.

• Sliced Toasted Almonds: You can toast your own sliced almonds, but TJS for the win again sells them already toasted. Slivered almonds would also work well in this recipe if that is what you have on hand.

Adapted from two inspiration recipes, Milk Street Best Cauliflower Soup and Taste of Home Moroccan Cauliflower and Almond Soup.