Creamy Romanesco Soup
What is romanesco? I was browsing all the fresh produce at Strites’ Orchard and came across this funny bright green vegetable. I had seen it before, but had never tried it. On a whim, I bought it. Now what was I going to do with it? Romanesco looks like the hippie cousin of broccoli and cauliflower. The flavor is like a mild broccoli. You can cut romanesco into florets, just like broccoli. Now that gave me an idea: how about romanesco soup?
For the soup, I adapted this French recipe from Marie Chioca at Saines Gourmandises. Her photos are so much prettier than mine, so please check them out.
To make the soup, first, you heat olive oil over medium heat and throw in minced garlic and a chopped onion. Cook it until they are translucent and start to brown a little. Add your romanesco florets on top and then cover with water or vegetable broth. I used both since I ran out of broth. Quick tip, only cover the onion and romanesco slightly if you would like a thicker soup. You can always stir in more broth at the end if you wish.
Bring that soup to a boil, reduce the heat, and cook for twenty minutes. Once the soup is done cooking, allow it to cool slightly. Take a shower, make some homemade croutons, or break open some moscato while you wait.
Next, add the soup and Parmesan cheese to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.
Serve in bowls with extra Parmesan and some croutons.
Creamy Romanesco Soup
Ingredients
- 1 head of romanesco
- 1 small onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- Water or vegetable broth
Instructions
- Peel and chop the onion and garlic.
- In a sauce pan over medium heat, add the olive oil, onion and garlic. Cook until translucent or lightly browned.
- Divide the romanesco into florets and add to the sauce pan.
- Cover with water or broth.
- Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes.
- Allow to cool slightly and add to a blender or food processor along with the Parmesan cheese. Blend until creamy.
- Enjoy with extra Parmesan and croutons.
Have you ever tried romanesco? What do you think of it?