We arrived back in Los Angeles at the beginning of February amidst uncharacteristic torrential rains, and the gloom has barely lifted since. But the weather is hardly the only unusual thing nowadays. As we brace ourselves for the literal and metaphorical downpour, soup is just the thing to sooth the soul and fuel the body. It is, after all, much harder to brave the weather on an empty stomach.

This soup is the rare kind that actually hits the spot while requiring minimal effort. It is easy to scale up or down, and to adapt with whatever herbs and hardy veg you have on hand. What’s more, all of the components can be made ahead of time and stashed in your fridge; you can even make a bit more of each and save for another meal.

The pesto can be skipped in a pinch, but I find that it does bring some much needed freshness to the dish.

Serves 2 as a main course, or 4 as a starter.

Ingredients

For the cauliflower soup:

1 head cauliflower (1-1.5 lbs)
1 head garlic
1 shallot
3 cups/ 24 oz chicken stock (more if you like your soup thinner)
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp cayenne
¼ cup heavy cream (more if you’d like a creamier soup)

For the cilantro pesto:

1 bunch cilantro
3-5 cloves garlic
A squeeze of lemon or lime juice

Olive oil
Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400F.

Separate cauliflower into florets. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on a sheet pan that’s been schmeared with a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking.

Cut the top off your head of garlic. Drizzle a good bit of olive oil over the garlic, wrap it in foil, and stick it on the sheet pan too. Roast the garlic and cauliflower in the oven for 30-40 mins, or until done. The cauliflower should be soft, with brown crusty bits all over (I prefer the caramelized taste of cauliflower that’s minutes from being burnt). The garlic, which might take a bit longer than the cauliflower, should be golden and soft enough for a fork to go right through. To retrieve the soft flesh from the skin – this is the really cool part – simply squeeze the head from the bottom to release the cloves. 

Meanwhile, make the pesto: blitz the cilantro and the garlic, along with some salt, in a food processor (or use a mortar and pestle if you’re feeling hardcore). Drizzle olive oil slowly into the mixture while the machine is running until desired thickness is reached – I like to keep my pesto at a yogurt-like consistency. This recipe will make way more pesto than you’ll need, but it’s hardly worth going to the trouble for a smaller quantity. The rest can be used on pastas, vegetables, or any other dish that requires a bit of zip (I even used some in a curry to great success).

Peel and mince the shallot. Heat up a stock pot over medium heat (I use an 8-quarter in order to leave room for the immersion blender. Use a smaller pot or saucepan if you plan on transferring the soup to a blender). Add a generous lug of olive oil, and saute the shallot until fragrant. Add the cauliflower, garlic and stock to the pot. Bring to a simmer. Season with cayenne, paprika, salt and pepper. Continue cooking until the cauliflower is soft, or as long as patience – or hunger – allows. Remove from heat and blend the soup with an immersion (or regular) blender until smooth. Put back over low heat, add the cream, and bring back to a simmer briefly.

Serve the soup with a dollop of pesto in each bowl.