Cream of Cauliflower Soup with Red Beet Chips

I tried my first recipe out of Thomas Keller's ad hoc at home. If its any indication of how great the rest of the book is, I and whoever I am cooking for are in for a treat! Since its still winter and cold, I decided to try the soup section simply because the pictures are amazing. So first up, cream of cauliflower soup with red beet chips. I don't even really like cauliflower or beets, but like I said the pictures look great.

Ingredients:
2 head of cauliflower (4 lbs)
red beet
onion (3/4cup chopped)
leeks (3/4 cup chopped)
unsalted butter (4tbsp)
milk (2 cups)
heavy cream (2 cups)
curry powder, salt, black pepper
water (2 cups)
fresh country bread to make into croutons
olive oil

My disclaimer - I cut out some steps to make it a little easier so if you want the full list of steps go buy the book!

Directions:
The soup: Cut out the core of the cauliflower, remove the stems and coarsely chop the cauliflower. Set aside. Melt the butter in a large saucepan or wok. Add the diced onion, leeks, curry powder seasoning (1/4 tsp) and cauliflower. Let cook for 20 minutes.

 

Pour in cream, milk and water and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes. Next, remove from heat and use a hand immersion blender (thanks Santa!) to blend the cauliflower mixture until smooth. Add more seasoning if you think it needs it. Keep the soup warm on low heat until everything else is ready.

Homemade croutons: Buy some fresh crusty bread and tear into small pieces. In a skillet, add olive oil, a little butter and garlic. Once hot, toss in the torn up bread and saute for 10-15 minutes until it looks like croutons. You can also skip the skillet and bake or broil in the oven. (This picture is only after a few minutes, so they should all be toasty when done)

Beet chips: Cut off the leaves of the beet and cut off the top and bottom of the beet. Peel and then dice into thin rounds. In a skillet, pour about an inch of vegetable oil and heat over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, carefully place the sliced of beets in one layer. They should be submerged in the oil. It will only take a few minutes for the beets to get crisp and become chips! Once ready, drain on paper towels. (On a side note, I might have to make these just to eat for a snack because they are surprisingly tasty!) 

Time for the grand assemble. Ladle the soup into a bowl. Top with several torn croutons and several beet chips. Drizzle with olive oil and black pepper.

Now the real question, is which one looks better? Mine or the picture? Pretty proud of myself that I pulled it off!