Serves: 8 people
Ingredients
2 tablespoons (30 ml) Butter
1/2 cup (31g / 1.1oz) Chopped onion
1 cup (110g / 3.9oz)Chopped celery
1 Carrot - thinly sliced
1 Cauliflower - cut into bite-sized florets
1 tablespoon (15 ml) Chopped parsley
8 cups (1896 ml) Chicken stock
1 teaspoon (5 ml) Dried tarragon (or 1 tbs if you have fresh)
1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) Whole peppercorns
1 Bay leaf
4 tablespoons (60 ml) Butter
1/2 cup (31 g / 1.1oz) Flour
2 cups (474 ml) Milk
1 cup (237ml) Light cream
2 teaspoons (10 ml) Salt - or more to taste
Garnish
Toasted cheese croutons - or 1/2 cup Goldfish Cheddar Cheese crackers
Instructions
Heat the butter in a large Dutch oven, toss in onion, and saute until transparent. Add the celery and carrot, cooking for 2 minutes. Add the cauliflowerettes and parsley, cover, and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Tie the tarragon, peppercorns, and bay into cheesecloth or perforated tin foil, and plunge into the soup. Reduce heat and let simmer.
In another saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and stir in the flour, cooking into a roux for a minute or two. Whisk the milk in gradually. Bring just to a boil and cook until the mixture thickens, whisking constantly. Stir in the cream.
When the sauce is done, pour it with the salt into the soup, and simmer for 20 minutes.
When the soup is ready, remove the herb packet. Jeanne recommends pureeing the whole thing, but the colors and textures are so nice that I prefer either pureeing only half, or just mashing the vegetables in the pot to the desired consistency. Ladle into bowls and top with croutons or crackers.
Serve hot to 8 to 10 people as a first course.
