Soups Modern
Roasted cauliflower mushroom soup
A dairy-free soup of oven-caramelised cauliflower mushroom and cauliflower, made creamy with cashews: serves four, ready in an hour.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
The cauliflower mushroom (Sparassis crispa; Turkish: karnabahar mantarı) has a frilly, folded structure and, according to Wikipedia, suits slow cooking. Roasting drives the moisture out of its folds and gives the soup a toasty flavour.
This recipe is adapted from Foraged's cauliflower mushroom soup; the cleaning method follows the advice in Wikipedia's Sparassis crispa article. If you foraged it, be completely sure of the species.
Ingredients
Tick them off as you go.
For roasting
For the soup
Method
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-
Cauliflower mushrooms trap pine needles and soil in their folds: break into small pieces and clean under running water with an old toothbrush, then drain well. Heat the oven to 200 °C.
~12 min -
Toss the mushroom, cauliflower, shallots, garlic, thyme, oil, salt and pepper on a baking tray. Roast at 200 °C for 30 minutes, stirring now and then.
~30 min -
Turn the oven up to 245 °C and roast for 10–15 minutes more until caramelised. Set a few pieces aside to garnish.
~12 min -
Tip the vegetables into a large pot and add the stock, cashews, soy sauce, nutritional yeast and balsamic. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes until the cashews are soft.
~12 min -
Blend in batches until smooth, return to the pot and adjust the seasoning. Serve topped with the reserved vegetables, a few drops of balsamic and fresh thyme or parsley.
~4 min
Enjoy!
The mushroom in this recipe
Mushroom swaps
Maitake Grifola frondosaUse the same weight and cut the first roasting time by 5 minutes.
Tips
- Take your time cleaning; grit left in the folds will spoil the soup.
- Swap the cashews for 100 ml cream and skip the soaking.
- Keep an eye on it during the last 10–15 minutes at high heat; the frilly tips darken fast.
Storage
Keep the soup in a closed container in the fridge and eat within 2–3 days. Fresh cauliflower mushroom can be dried or, according to Wikipedia, kept in cold water or oil.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Roasted cauliflower mushroom soup take?
It takes 1 hr 10 min in total: 15 minutes of preparation and 55 minutes of cooking.
Which mushroom is used for Roasted cauliflower mushroom soup?
This recipe uses Cauliflower mushroom.
What other mushrooms work for Roasted cauliflower mushroom soup?
Maitake: Use the same weight and cut the first roasting time by 5 minutes.
How do you store Roasted cauliflower mushroom soup?
Keep the soup in a closed container in the fridge and eat within 2–3 days. Fresh cauliflower mushroom can be dried or, according to Wikipedia, kept in cold water or oil.
What should you watch for when making Roasted cauliflower mushroom soup?
Take your time cleaning; grit left in the folds will spoil the soup. Swap the cashews for 100 ml cream and skip the soaking.
How many does Roasted cauliflower mushroom soup serve?
The quantities serve 4; change the number of servings on the page and the ingredients adjust.
Adapted from: Foraged — Cauliflower Mushroom Soup; cleaning and storage: Wikipedia, Sparassis crispa
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Kitchen guides
Before you cook: clean, store, dry
How to clean mushroomsPractical ways to clean everything from button mushrooms to morels without waterlogging them or ruining their texture.
How to store mushroomsHow to keep fresh, cooked, frozen and dried mushrooms at their best — and how to tell when they’ve gone bad.
How to dry mushroomsA step-by-step guide to drying mushrooms at home in the oven, in a dehydrator or on a string — and how to store and rehydrate them.