Cream of Cauliflower Soup (Crème du Barry)
When the chill of winter sets in, few dishes comfort me like this Cream of Cauliflower Soup. Known in French as “Crème du Barry”, this recipe is steeped in royal origin. This classic French recipe is made with a whole cauliflower head mixed with heavy cream and aromatics. Velvety smooth and deeply flavorful, it’s a lighter, vegetable-forward soup that deserves a place in every French cooking repertoire. What is Crème du Barry? Sometimes known as Velouté du Barry or Potage du Barry, Crème du Barry is a classic French soup…
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 tbsp (15ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 leek, white part only (about 100g), cleaned and sliced
- 1 shallot, peeled and diced
- 1 large cauliflower (about 1kg/2.2lbs), trimmed and cut into florets
- 4 cups (1L) chicken stock, low sodium
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream, 35% m.f.2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 handful chervil or parsley leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- 1
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced shallot and sliced leek, and sauté for 3 minutes until soft and fragrant.
- 2
Add the cauliflower florets to the pot, pour in the chicken stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook until the cauliflower is very tender, about 20-25 minutes.
- 3
Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth and creamy. If the soup feels too thick, add a bit of water. If using a countertop blender, blend the soup in small batches and return it to the pot afterwards.
- 4
In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream and egg yolks. Slowly add a ladle of hot soup to the mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Gradually stir the cream-egg mixture back into the soup. Continue heating the soup, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, if required.
- 5
For serving, ladle the soup into individual serving bowls and garnished with a sprinkle of chervil or parsley leaves.