Hearty Cauliflower & Gnocchi Soup

Let’s make my newest favorite soup!

I am beyond obsessed with this cozy little number. It is one of the most flavorful soups I have ever made, and while it feels rich and indulgent, there are several ingredients in here that we can feel pretty great about putting into these bodies of ours.

Also, if you do not consider yourself to be a cauliflower enthusiast, give this recipe a try. I have been trying to turn Mr. Pedantic into a cauliflower fan for years without success, but this soup was the ticket!

There are so many wonderful components going on here, but two of them really set this recipe apart and add SO much depth of flavor. An entire head of garlic and a parmesan rind make this quick and easy soup taste like it has been simmering all day long.

If you are not already saving your parmesan rinds, now is the time to start! After finishing up a wedge of parmesan, you can simply wrap the rind in a bit of plastic and stash it in the fridge for stocks, soups, or sauces. Game changer.

Now, let’s put it all together!

The sausage is browned first and then set aside. Afterwards, the cauliflower is cooked in the renderings from the sausage, stacking flavor upon flavor.

The cauliflower will simmer for a bit in chicken broth that we have spiked with our secret weapons - garlic and a parmesan rind. As it simmers, all of the flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan will lift, adding even more flavor to the broth.

Once the cauliflower has softened, we stir in a bit of heavy cream, fresh gnocchi, the reserved sausage, and a few handfuls of kale. I used tuscan kale in this soup because it holds up so much better to cooking than the curly varieties. It even reheats really well without becoming slimy.

After a few minutes, we can finish it off with a bit of fresh lemon juice and serve!

I love serving this soup up with a crusty baguette and a generous sprinkling of parmesan.

You could definitely adapt this to your liking! Feel free to add spinach instead of kale, or pasta instead of gnocchi - just make it your own!

Stay cozy, friends!

Sincerely,

Pedantic Foodie

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Hearty Cauliflower & Gnocchi Soup

serves six

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 lb mild Italian pork sausage, removed from casing

• 1 large head cauliflower, chopped into small florets

• 1 head garlic, outermost skin removed

• 1 parmesan rind*

• 6 cups chicken stock

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

• 16 ounces gnocchi

• 3 cups tuscan kale

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

• freshly grated parmesan, optional

*Cook’s Note: Never throw away your parmesan rinds! While they are often discarded, they have so much flavor to lend to soups, sauces, and stews.

Place a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and add olive oil.

When the oil is shimmering, add the sausage to the pan and use a metal spatula to break up the sausage as it cooks. Once all the sausage is evenly broken up, all it to brown for 3-4 minutes; until golden around the edges.

Use a sharp knife to remove the very top of the head of garlic, exposing all of the cloves, but keeping the head in-tact. If the outermost paper is lose, go ahead and remove that before adding the garlic to the pot, but be sure to keep the head in-tact.

When the sausage is cooked through and evenly browned, use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage from the pan and into a separate bowl. Set aside for now.

With the heat still at medium, add the cauliflower to the pan and cook in the renderings from the sausage. Stir often, until the cauliflower has begun to brown slightly; about 3 minutes.

Increase heat to medium high heat and pour in the chicken stock. When the mixture begins to simmer, use a heavy spoon to scrape the browned bits up from the bottom of the pan.  Add the head of garlic and parmesan rind to the pan. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer steadily for 25 minutes.

Remove the lid and use a spoon to remove the parmesan rind and head of garlic from the pan and discard - they have done their job. Pour in heavy cream, reserved sausage, gnocchi, kale, and salt. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in lemon juice.

Serve immediately alongside a toasted baguette and finish with freshly grated parmesan, if desired.

Enjoy!

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