Cauliflower bisque is taken to new heights with the addition of mushrooms.
This is a rich soup. Super creamy & super satisfying. It’s comfort food 101 and an appealing way to get kids eating cauliflower.
What makes it creamy?
There are a few techniques that create a creamy taste & feel in the plant-based realm. Perhaps the most common are cashews as we’re using here.
Combining cashews with nutritional yeast creates a cheese-like flavour. Grind them up dry in equal quantities and they form the basis for a faux parmesan cheese; made into a sauce and it’s the best cheese-sauce ever!
Be sure to purchase nutritional yeast, also known as savoury yeast. It’s not the same as Brewer’s yeast so don’t think you can use Brewers yeast instead – the flavour is really different and much stronger.
If you don’t have a strong blender then it’s best to soak the cashews for a couple of hours (or soak in hot water for 10 minutes). Then drain well.
Cauliflower bisque with mushrooms & thyme
Ingredients
1 medium cauliflower, chopped into flowerets
6-10 button mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried thyme
2.5 cups vegetable stock
2/3 cup cashews
2 cups water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 -1/2 fresh lime juice
1 tsp salt
Method
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the cauliflower florets and boil until tender. ~ 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In a large pot sauté onion, celery, mushrooms and thyme for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables just begin to soften, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another minute.
Stir in the vegetable broth, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the cauliflower to a high-speed blender along with the water, cashews, nutritional yeast, lime juice and sea salt. Blend on high for two minutes, or until completely smooth and creamy.
Add the cauliflower mixture to the pot of soup and stir well. Heat through for ~8 minutes to thicken and reduce (keep in mind that it will continue to thicken as it cools).
Adjust seasonings. Garnish with fresh thyme.
