Hungarian Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Dill Soup

This traditional Hungarian Cauliflower soup has a modern twist by roasting the cauliflower and garlic adding a sweet pungent flavour with sweet paprika and the smokiness of the bacon offers depth with a luxurious creamy texture. This delicious soup is finished with a fresh dill that balances the richness to this exceptional soup. 

There a few versions of the Hungarian cauliflower soups, but this one I modified slightly to create a rustic creamy texture with a rich garlic flavour. Often Hungarian’s use bacon as a starter, paprika as the popular national spice with fresh dill and parsley in their recipes, and in this case, it worked perfectly. This soup has tons of flavour and it is satisfying, so much so it is perfect as a meal.

WHAT MAKES THIS SOUP SO DELICIOUS….

Where do I begin! First and foremost roasting the cauliflower and garlic adds a beautiful caramelized flavour to this soup. Once the cauliflower is cooked in a broth and puree it becomes this luxurious creamy texture.

I started this recipe by chopping butcher’s bacon, which is a thicker cut bacon you can purchase at a farmer’s market or butcher/meat shop. I use the bacon drippings to sauté the onions, celery and then I add the roasted garlic. Meanwhile scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the bites of bacon for added smoky flavour. I add the cooked bacon as a garnish.

The final step is adding a 1/2 cup of 10% cream, then I puree the soup. I then add the fresh dill once the cauliflower is cooked and tender. I love how the dill balances the flavour, and adds the fresh aroma and taste to the classic traditional Hungarian soup.

Hungarian’s have a few variations of a cauliflower soup. Some of the recipes add more vegetables, that include carrots, parsnips, and potatoes. I have made a Paprika Cauliflower Soup with Dumplings, which is a click away that consists of clear broth, and it too offers lots of flavour!

I know what you thinking, this soup looks really good, but will I like it? Well, often times, we think cauliflower soup doesn’t sound appealing, but this one is that and more. The flavours of the smoky bacon, caramelized cauliflower and garlic and fresh dill really makes this soup worthy to try and once you do, you will want to save this recipe to your collection!.

SIMPLE INGREDIENTS, BIG FLAVOURS

Cauliflower: roasting the cauliflower for this soup elevates the flavour and it worth the extra time it takes

Vegetables:  start with onion, and garlic as each offer lots of flavour, and celery is added

Vegetable stock: is used for this soup, however chicken stock could be substitued

Cream: only 1/2 cup of 10% cream is  needed to achieve a creamy texture

Seasonings: paprika, salt and pepper

Herbs: dill and parsley are both offer fresh earthy flavours

INSTRUCTIONS

 

 

 

 

 

 

CUTTING THE CAULIFLOWER, is as easy as 1, 2,3. Once you have rinsed it thoroughly, then you cut the head in half and then in quarters. Remove the core by cutting on an angle and discard. Then some of the florets will start breaking away, then using your knife to cut into smaller pieces.  At this point, if the cauliflower isn’t organic then I would give it a final rinse or soak in cold salted water to remove any dirt.

ROASTING: Once the cauliflower is dried or use a clean towel to dry the florets as best as you can. Place the cut cauliflower on a large baking sheet, and drizzle olive oil over the cauliflower and toss to coat well. Then add the cloves of garlic, and bake for about 30-35 minutes. Set aside a few small pieces for garnishing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once the bacon is cooked then transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Begin to sauté the onions, and celery until tender about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the paprika, then add the broth, and cauliflower and first increase heat to a boil, then lower heat to simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes for the flavours to blend and to ensure the cauliflower is tender and then add cream.

Transfer in batches to food processor/blender or use a hand emulsifier and puree until smooth. At this point, add salt and pepper and check to taste if seasoning needs to be adjusted. Stir in fresh dill and serve with crusty bread.

Garnish with cooked bacon pieces, roasted cauliflower pieces, fresh parsley, and additional dill. I highly recommend making this soup, it has such a delicious flavour with hints of caramelization, smokiness from the bacon, and the fresh dill pulls all of the irresistible flavour together.

A DAIRY FREE OPTION

There is something said about a luxurious creamy texture in a soup. It is comforting, cozy, delicious and so satisfying!

You can achieve a creamy texture many ways when it comes to making soups. If you haven’t tried replacing dairy cream with potatoes, I highly recommend you try it! I used Yukon Gold potatoes and Russet potatoes are another great option, both starchy and will give you that creamy luxurious texture we love.

The soup in the above photo is made with 2 Yukon gold potatoes. I substitute the potatoes with the half and half cream. Simply add the potatoes with the celery and sauteed for a few minutes then the paprika and stir for a minute. Then pour in the broth. Cook for 10 minutes then add the roasted cauliflower and garlic and cook for another 5 or more minutes until the potatoes are tender. Blend the soup with blender being careful as the soup is hot or use a hand emulisfier until smooth and creamy and add the fresh dill. Enjoy!

STORING

Store this soup in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container with a lid.

When freezing this soup, use a freezer friendly container with a lid and it can freeze up to 2-3 months.

To reheat this soup, add it to a soup pot and on low heat, warm soup stirring occassionally to avoid it from sticking to the bottom of the pot and so the cream will bind as it tends to separate when frozen.

I hope your love this Hungarian Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Dill soup recipe.  If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and rating. I would love to hear your feedback and I know my readers would too. Thank you in advance.