Over the past year, after I discovered my youngest son was allergic to wheat and dairy, I have had to learn to cook allergy-friendly foods that look good and taste good for my family of four boys. At first, cooking gluten-free and dairy-free was daunting, but after playing around with gluten-free and dairy-free substitutes and lots of experimentation, I found it was actually quite easy to “renovate” regular recipes and make them allergy-friendly.
One of the allergy-friendly recipes that I developed is this Creamy Cauliflower Chestnut Soup with Gluten-Free Croutons. Although creamy soups often are thickened with a flour-butter mixture, and have cream added, I came to realize that a creamy soup could be achieved without adding any flour, butter or cream. Cauliflower is actually fairly creamy on its own when pureed, so when you add potatoes and chestnuts to this, and puree it altogether, the result is a luscious, rich, creamy soup.
Although I’m sure fresh roasted chestnuts would make this soup even better, I cheated and bought a jar of roasted chestnuts. Roasted chestnuts are easy to find in supermarkets these days and it saved me the dreaded task of peeling the chestnuts (which is my least favorite part of eating home roasted chestnuts).
I actually served this Creamy Cauliflower Chestnut Soup in place of a vegetable at dinnertime the other night. My boys were perplexed at first…”uh, no vegetables tonight?…..oh, I get it, it’s in the soup.” Did they think I’d let a meal go by with no vegetables?! Of course not, they know me better than that. This soup is deceptively flavorful – the cauliflower is roasted, bringing out some sweetness in this highly nutritious cruciferous vegetable. The roasted chestnuts add some nuttiness and sweetness, and the thyme and sage round out the soup with some savory flavors.
This creamy vegetable soup was a hit, especially with the mini croutons I made to top it off. Best of all, my son with wheat and dairy allergies could enjoy this soup with the rest of the family. The little homemade croutons were simply made with the ends of a loaf of whole grain gluten-free bread , some olive oil, dried thyme and salt. I love the idea of contrasting textures when it comes to creamy soups. Add a bit of crunch on top and it’s a fun soup to eat. Toasted pumpkin seeds would also be nice (I ran out of croutons by the time my husband got home for dinner, so that’s what I put on top of his soup). Some popped corn would work too in a pinch.
I actually like the idea of serving vegetable soup in addition to or instead of vegetables at dinner. Pureed soups like this Creamy Cauliflower Chestnut Soup pack a lot of vegetables into a single bowl, and they’re deceptively creamy without any cream. I would definitely consider serving this elegant, light soup when entertaining guests. Guests will think they’re enjoying a decadent rich soup…little will they know that it was actually good for them. They’ll thank you later – trust me.
Creamy Cauliflower Chestnut Soup
1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 small onions or 1 large, chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ slices
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup roasted chestnuts
salt and pepper, taste
Gluten-Free Croutons1 cup gluten-free bread, cut into small cubes
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
a sprinkling of salt
Soup GarnishesGluten-Free Croutons Paprika
To Make Creamy Cauliflower Chestnut SoupPreheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss cauliflower with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Roast cauliflower for 20 minutes until tender and lightly browned.
Heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil in large soup pot. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add potatoes, turmeric, thyme, rosemary and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook, covered, for 15 minutes.
Add chestnuts and roasted cauliflower and continue to cook 15-20 minutes until potatoes are tender. Carefully puree soup in a blender. Season with salt and pepper.
To Make Gluten-Free CroutonsIn a small bowl, combine bread cubes, olive oil, dried thyme and a sprinkling of salt. Toss well. Place in a small skillet over medium heat and toss until golden brown and crunchy.
To ServeLadle soup into bowls. Top with croutons. Sprinkle with paprika. Serves 6-8.
Note: I used jarred roasted chestnuts that have become more readily available in the supermarkets. Of course, you can roast your own fresh chestnuts. The croutons add a nice textural contrast to the creaminess of this soup, and make this soup fun to eat. You can also try toasted pumpkin seeds or a few kernels of popcorn.