Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Basil & Pine Nut Pesto

I came back from the market with an idea in mind: to prepare a soup to warm me up on this cold winter day. I was standing in front of the stove, unsure how to proceed. I had bought cauliflower and basil. I was convinced that combining the two ingredients would be a success. It was a visual intuition first. I was already seeing this ivory white creamy soup, garnished with a deep green sauce. So I proceeded without instructions, with absolutely no plan, using what I could find in my kitchen. 

I chose to steam the cauliflower since it will avoid having flabby vegetables, full of water. When the cauliflower was cooked and I was about to mix it; I realized I had no more milk at home. I therefore used the coconut milk I had. The result was softer and more consistent than I would have thought. The softness of the coconut milk perfectly suits the smoothness of the soup and strengthens the contrast with pesto. If you are not a risk-taker when it comes to food, you might prefer regular milk or almond milk. But the coconut milk is worth a try!

Eventually, I came up with a very simple recipe. No spices or condiments to make the creamy soup. And pesto! The original recipe includes oil, pine nuts, garlic and Parmesan. What I suggest here will leave you with a less salted sauce, which allows pine nuts and olive oil to release their aromas. The texture will also be lighter than the traditional pesto.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Basil and Pine Nuts Pesto
Serves 2

500 g / 1 pound cauliflower
150 ml / 5 fl oz coconut milk
Salt

Pesto preparation
1 bunch basil
50 g / 1.75 oz pine nuts
4 tbsp olive oil

Cut the cauliflower into florets. Steam during 12 to 15 minutes. Heat the coconut milk in saucepan. In a blender / food processor, pour the cauliflower and coconut milk. Mix. 

Trim the basil in order to only keep the leaves. In a blender, pour the pine nuts and the basil. Mix. Gradually add olive oil and mix again. Adjust the amount of oil to achieve desired consistency.
Serve the soup very warm and garnish with pesto.

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