Suddenly it was fall, and the produce changed. Sure, there is still zucchini, but there is always zucchini.
On early morning walks, my feet crunch through amber and auburn leaves and I breathe deeply to inhale the clean, crisp air. That’s all well and good, but it means the tomatoes are pallid and wan, as though exhausted by their glorious output all summer long. Of course that’s not how it works: the poor things simply can’t thrive without the sun warming them from inside to outside, all day every day. In a few months I will feel the same way.
Now, though, the flavors of the season are still new, and I am going to enjoy them. Hello again to cauliflower, who I resolutely ignored all summer. I will make you into a rich, creamy soup, and then drizzle you with vibrantly tart-sweet pomegranate molasses. Your time has come.
| Servings | |
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 celery stalks chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 head cauliflower, (about 2 pounds), cut into florets (about 8 cups)
- 1 (10-ounce) potato, cut in 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 4 cups no salt vegetable or chicken broth
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses*
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
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- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium. Add the onion, celery, and thyme; cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower, potato, broth and 1 1/2 cups water; increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the cauliflower and potato are fork tender, about 25 minutes. Uncover the pot; increase the heat to medium, stir in the tahini, and simmer 10 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Puree in batches in the blender or using an immersion blender. (Soup may be made in advance up to this point and reheated).
- Ladle the soup into four bowls. Working one at a time, drizzle about 1/2 tablespoon of the pomegranate molasses on each bowl; drag a knife or toothpick through the pomegranate to form a decorative pattern. Sprinkle lightly with parsley.
Makes 4 (main course) servings
Nutritional analysis for each serving: 340 calories, 14 g protein, 32 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 20 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 789 mg sodium
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