Ingredients
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 1 stick celery, diced
- 1 leek, diced
- 3 medium potatoes, diced
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 head cauliflower, finely chopped
- 2L chicken stock
- 200ml cream
- ½g saffron threads, soaked in 1 Tbsp water
- salt flakes and freshly-milled black pepper
- 4 baby beetroot, peeled
- vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- 1 bunch chives, snipped
- herb salt, crusty bread and créme fraîche, to serve
Instructions
1 Sauté the onion, celery, half the leek and one potato in butter in a large saucepan over a moderate heat for 5 minutes, until just softened, but not coloured. Add the garlic, bay leaves and fennel seeds and cook for 2 more minutes.
2 Add half the cauliflower, stock, cream and saffron, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender. Purée with a stick blender, then season with salt and pepper and set aside.
3 Boil the remaining cauliflower and potato until just tender, drain well, then add to the soup. Season with salt and pepper.
4 Slice the beetroot very finely on a mandoline, then pat dry with kitchen paper. Fry in hot (180°C) vegetable oil for 2 minutes, until crispy, then drain on kitchen paper. Dust with herb salt*.
5 Serve the soup scattered with chives with a stack of beetroot chips, crusty bread and crème fraîche.
* Make your own herb salt by pounding 1 bunch sage, ¼ bunch thyme and ¼ cup rock salt in a mortar until fine. Dry slowly, then store airtight.