I was hosting my good friend Michael the other night and made this for him for dinner! He's a vegetarian and like many has some difficulty getting enough protein in his diet. Like me he is a gastric bypass patient making this even more important. So I made this soup trying to create a higher protein meal and still meeting his vegetarian standards. I've always been a big fan of Edamame and this soup is an easy and flavorful new way to enjoy it!
Ingredients:
12 oz of shelled Edamame. (Try Trader Joes for this)
2/3 of a small head of cauliflower.
3-4 cups vegetable or chicken stock.
1 medium shallot minced.
2 small garlic cloves minced.
2 tbsp butter.
2 tbsp half and half, cream, or milk.
1 tsp dried thyme leaves.
2 tsps finely chopped or dried chives.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Diced red pepper to garnish.
Begin by steaming the cauliflower until soft, do not over cook.
Boil the shelled frozen edamame about 5 minutes or as directed on the package.
Saute the shallot and garlic in a 3 quart sauce pan until softened, do not brown.
Add the cooked cauliflower and edamame, stir and mash with a potato masher.
Add about half of the broth and blend with an immersion blender or puree in a conventional blender.
Add the rest of the butter and half and half, and herbs, and continue to blend adding additional broth as you go.
Continue to puree until the desired consistency. I prefer a ticker soup, just additional broth if you like it thinner.
Salt and pepper to taste.
I found the soup to be fresh and light, with the edamame as the star. the Cauliflower adds body with over powering the edamame. The red pepper garnish adding texture and cool sweetness to the dish. In future editions of this soup I may try adding additional hers or perhaps a light swirl of Soy Sauce or even Tamari.
