Every Sunday, you can usually find me wandering the Baltimore Farmers Market bright and early, coffee in hand, browsing the colorful produce stands. Last weekend, a few heads of purple cauliflower caught my eye — vibrant, beautiful, and impossible to pass up. I knew right away they were destined to become a cozy fall meal. Once I got home, I decided to turn them into a creamy, flavorful Purple Cauliflower Soup — a little comfort food to enjoy while cheering on the Ravens.

Purple Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients – Yields 5 Servings

Purple Cauliflower Soup

• two large purple cauliflowers
• 2 small shallots
• 1 head of garlic
• 8 oz maitake (hen of the woods) mushrooms
• 4 cups chicken stock (can substitute for vegetable stock) 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• Good quality olive oil, garnish
• smoked paprika, garnish
• parsley, garnish
• crushed red pepper, garnish

Directions:

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1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Remove outer leaves of cauliflower. Wash and cut cauliflower into chunks.
3. Cut shallots and garlic into medium sized pieces.
4. Cut mushrooms into bite sized pieces and put aside
5. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Add shallots, cook over low heat, until soft. About 5 minutes.
6. Add cauliflower. Stir to coat with olive oil. Cook for about 5 minutes over low heat.
7. Add stock and garlic. Bring to boil. Do not cover with a lid.
8. Bring heat to a low simmer. Season to taste with salt.
9. Cook until cauliflower is soft, about 25 – 35 minutes. It all depends on how large you cut the pieces of cauliflower.
10. Place mushrooms on a greased baking sheet (I use Pam Cooking Spray) sprinkled with salt and pepper and bake for 20 minutes, flipping half-way through.
11. Puree the soup with an immersion blender. If you only have a traditional blender, puree in small batches then return to the pan.
12. Ladle into serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil.
13. Sprinkle with smoked paprika, crushed red pepper, and parsley.
14. Top with roasted mushrooms

This soup is simple, vibrant, and full of earthy flavor. The purple cauliflower from the Baltimore Farmers Market gives it a gorgeous color, while the shallots, garlic, and roasted mushrooms add depth and richness. If you can’t find maitake mushrooms, feel free to substitute any that roast well — cremini or oyster mushrooms work beautifully.

Homemade, hearty, and healthy — this is my kind of Sunday meal.

You can see what other dishes I’m cooking, here.

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Looking for a place to eat? Check out Rachel’s Baltimore Restaurant List.