Windy days, warm soup

In true San Francisco fashion, it dropped 30 degrees in the last week, and we’re back to sunny but blustering days. I made a warm soup for the windy day, featuring broccoflower. You can use broccoli, cauliflower, or a mixture of both.


Carmelized broccoflower & onion soup

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
(optional: ½ tsp sugar)
1 bunch broccoflower/broccoli/cauliflower, cut into florets
4–5 c vegetable broth
1 clove garlic
1 bay leaf
(optional: ¼ c milk or cream)
Blue cheese, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and/or mint

Heat butter and olive oil in a heavy stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Sprinkle with salt (and sugar, if using.) Stir and cook until onions start to turn golden brown (carmelize.) Add broccoflower and cook until florets carmelize around the edges. Stir occasionally to carmelize vegetables evenly. Add vegetable broth, garlic, and bay leaf. Simmer until broccoflower is tender. Remove bay leaf. Puree soup with an immersion blender. Add more vegetable broth if the soup gets too thick. Season with salt + pepper, to taste. Add milk/cream and warm through.

Serve with crumbled blue cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. For a more springtime flavor, skip the blue cheese and serve with lemon juice and chopped mint.