This cauliflower soup is / was so good, I couldn’t wait for lunch.
Here is an estimate of how it came together:
1 medium head of cauliflower, rough chop
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup white beans, pre-cooked, navy beans or similar
~ 1/3 cup oatmeal
1 bay leaf (remove before blending)
1 kaffir lime leaf* (remove before blending)
~ 1/4 cup coconut milk (optional)
3/4 cup dill pickle juice
sea salt + pepper to taste
Throw everything into a pot, add water just to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil, then simmer until cauliflower is tender. Remove bay and kaffir lime leaves and process in blender until silky smooth.
Robbin, a lifelong friend, gave me a jar of her homemade dill pickles. I am in love with her dill-icious pickles. I’m not a canner so these hand-crafted cucumbers are even more precious to me, surpassing anything I can buy in a store. They are tasty, crispy, dilly, salty, and tangy. And because there is such great flavour, I don’t waste a drop when it comes to Robbin’s pickles – the dilly brine is tasty in cocktails, soups, sauces, salad dressings, etc.
People have been multi-purposing pickle juice for generations. A few weeks ago, our dear friend Alex prepared a feast of Polish peasant food for us. He skillfully prepared recipes that were handed down by his late grandmother whose love shone through the abundance of food she always made for her family. The highlight of the evening was the traditional white Polish borscht and, you guessed it, it was made with pickle juice – rustic elegance. I adore basic foods that combine to create such compelling flavours.
So, the next time you have some leftover pickle juice, don’t throw it out. Make a dressing, add it to your sauce or soup. It adds one more layer of flavour.
*Kaffir lime can be overpowering so taste your broth as it’s cooking and remove the leaf when the lime flavour is to your liking.