Soup
Roasted Cauliflower Velouté with Saffron Apple and Crisp Wild Rice
Deeply roasted cauliflower becomes a satin-smooth velouté, lifted by jewel-like saffron apple, emerald chive oil and crisp wild rice.
25 minutes prep50 minutes cooking4 composed plates
01
Ingredients
- 1 kg cauliflower, cut into small florets
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 150 g Yukon Gold potato, peeled and diced
- 750 ml low-sodium vegetable stock
- 250 ml unsweetened oat milk
- 120 g cooked wild rice, very well drained
- 1 large crisp apple, peeled and cut into 8 mm cubes
- 60 ml cloudy apple juice
- 1 generous pinch saffron threads
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 20 g fresh chives, plus short chive tips for garnish
02
Prepare the dish
- Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Toss the cauliflower with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the white pepper. Roast on a wide tray for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once, until the edges are deeply golden.
- Spread the cooked wild rice on a second parchment-lined tray. Toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil and a pinch of salt. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, stirring twice, until dry and crisp. Cool on the tray.
- Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook for 5 minutes without browning. Add the garlic and potato and cook for 2 minutes.
- Reserve eight attractive roasted cauliflower florets for garnish. Add the remaining cauliflower, stock and oat milk to the saucepan. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, until the potato is completely tender.
- Meanwhile, combine the apple cubes, apple juice, saffron and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until the apple is tender at the edges but still holds its shape. Stir in the lemon juice and keep warm.
- Blend the soup in batches until completely smooth. Pass it through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan, pressing with a ladle. Adjust the seasoning and keep warm over very low heat.
- Blend the chives with the remaining olive oil for 45 seconds. Let stand for 5 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve without pressing.
- Rewarm the reserved cauliflower florets in the oven for 3 minutes immediately before plating.
03
Plate with intention
The final arrangement is part of the recipe. Warm or chill the plates as directed and give every element a reason to be there.
- Choose a wide, shallow matte white bowl for each serving. Place two small roasted cauliflower florets slightly left of centre to establish a low focal point.
- Arrange five saffron apple cubes in a curved line around the florets, keeping the garnish below 2 cm in height.
- Pour the hot velouté around the garnish at the table or just before serving, leaving the cauliflower and apple visible above the surface.
- Dot the chive oil in a broken crescent opposite the garnish. Add a narrow line of crisp wild rice beside the apple and finish with two short chive tips.
Before service
Chef notes
- Roast the cauliflower until genuinely golden; pale florets produce a flatter-tasting soup.
- For the silkiest texture, blend while hot and pass the soup through a fine sieve rather than thinning it excessively.
- Keep the crisp wild rice dry and add it only at the last moment so it retains its texture.
Estimated per serving
Nutrition at a glance
- Calories
- 326
- Fat
- 16g
- Saturated fat
- 2.3g
- Carbohydrates
- 42g
- Fibre
- 8g
- Sugars
- 12g
- Protein
- 8g
- Sodium
- 536mg
Cauliflower, apple and wild rice give this refined soup a useful amount of fibre per serving.
Estimates vary with ingredient brands, substitutions and serving size.