Soup season is upon us! Y’all know I love a good soup and this particular one I made has been my favorite so far. Creamy, rich, and almost decadent without the extra fuss all because of tender vegetables and tons of depth worked in. With the help of my favorite Spice Tribe blend and spices and my trusty immersion blender, I was able to whip up a fancy-looking and delicious soup in no time. So excited to share this one with y’all!

For this recipe, I decided to stick with a play on a white mirepoix, which is a variation of the traditional French seasoning base of onion, celery, and carrot. Here, I used leeks for their a delicate onion flavor, celery for some earthiness, and parsnips for some sweetness without the orange color carrots leave when boiled. I wanted to keep the soup the same shade throughout the cooking process. I’m also not huge on using dairy that much these days, so if you’d like to use a plant-based milk or cream here, that’s definitely a great option to make the soup completely vegan (if omitting the prosciutto topping).

But to be honest, my favorite part of this soup is the gremolata oil, which gets drizzled on top for an extra kick of flavor and brightness to offset the richness of the soup. Gremolata is an amazing Italian condiment, full of herbs, garlic, and lemon and I love putting it on roasted cauliflower, so I decided to turn it into a blended oil for the soup. We have some great flavors here, folks, so let’s get cooking!

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Cook time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4-6

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 small leeks, sliced and cleaned (see note)

3 small celery stalks, sliced

3 medium parsnips, peeled and sliced

3 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 1/2 tsp Spice Tribe Porcini Paradiso Blend

1 small cauliflower head, trimmed and cut into florets

5 cups unsalted vegetable stock or water

1 sprig rosemary, leaves removed and chopped

3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped

2 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves removed and chopped

2 small bay leaves

Kosher salt, to taste

White pepper, to taste

1 1/2 cups half and half

Toasted pine nuts, for garnish

Crispy prosciutto, crumbled, for garnish

Gremolata Oil

3 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 cup parsley leaves (about half a large bunch)

1 large lemon, zested

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Large pinch kosher salt

Large pinch cracked Spice Tribe Late Harvest Black Peppercorns

Note: leeks are grown in very sandy soil, so to make sure you don’t get any sand or dirt into your soup, once you slice them, soak and shake them around in a large bowl of cold water. This will allow the sediment to fall to the bottom of the bowl. All you’ll have to do next is scoop them out with your hands or a slotted spoon to place into your pot. Don’t pour the soaked leeks and strain them with a colander, you’ll just end up getting the sand from the bottom of the bowl all over them. That’s no bueno!

In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the cleaned and sliced leeks, celery, parsnips, and garlic cloves until slightly tender, about 5-7 minutes.

Toss in the cauliflower florets and stir with the partially cooked vegetable mixture. Season with Spice Tribe Porcini Paradiso and stir to fully combine. Pour in the vegetable stock or water, chopped rosemary, thyme, tarragon, and bay leaves. Season to taste with kosher salt and white pepper.

Bring to a boil and turn the heat to medium-low, simmering the soup until the cauliflower and parsnips are tender and can easily be pierced with a fork or knife, about 30 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, work on your gremolata oil by combining the chopped garlic cloves, parsley leaves, lemon zest, extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, and cracked Spice Tribe Late Harvest Black Peppercorns in a mini food processor or immersion blender cup. Blitz together until fully combined and bright green in appearance and set aside. Taste and adjust seasoning. If using the immersion blender, clean it up to use for the soup later.

After the 30 minutes has passed for the soup and the cauliflower florets are tender, turn the heat off completely. Carefully remove the bay leaves and discard. Using an immersion blender (or if using a regular blender or food processor, carefully work in batches and vent the lid to avoid overheating and/or popping the lid of the appliance), blend until desired consistency and creaminess, pouring in the half and half during this process. Stir to fully combine and turn the heat back on low and cover with lid to stay warm while working on the garnishes.

To toast the pine nuts, frequently stir pine nuts in a dry skillet until golden brown and nutty in smell. Set aside. To crisp the prosciutto, start a few thin slices in a cold pan and cook until crispy, adding a little neutral oil as needed in case it sticks. It should crisp and crumble just like cooked bacon. Set aside.

Serve the soup, topping with the toasted pine nuts and crumbled prosciutto in the center. Drizzle the bowl with the gremolata oil and enjoy! Leftover soup tastes better the next day and the oil holds for 4-5 days!

¡Buen provecho!