Cauliflower Soup with Balsamic Red Onions and Wilted Lettuce

Adapted from Raw by Charlie Trotter and Roxanne Klein (Ten Speed Press, 2004). Copyright 2004 by Charlie Trotter and Roxanne Klein.

Serves 4

The ultrafine cauliflower purée makes the soup seem as if it is cream based—it's that shockingly satiny. The initial taste of the cauliflower comes off as earthy, but within moments it is clear just how regal this vegetable truly is. Dehydrated red onion pieces and Bibb lettuce leaves provide sweet and sharp flavor notes and a textural counterpoint, while a whisper of balsamic vinegar pushes this humble combination of ingredients to scale great heights.

Soup

• 3 cups chopped cauliflower
  
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  
• 1 1/4 cups filtered water
  
• Celtic sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  
• Balsamic Red Onions
  
• 1 small red onion, sliced crosswise 1/8-inch thick
  
• 1/4 cup Villa Manodori balsamic vinegar
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
• Celtic sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Lettuce

• 8 Bibb lettuce leaves, torn into 2-inch pieces
  
• 1 tablespoon Villa Manodori balsamic vinegar
  
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
• Celtic sea salt and freshly ground pepper

To make the soup: In a high-speed blender, combine the cauliflower, olive oil, vinegar, and water and process until smooth and a thick saucelike consistency forms. Pass the soup through a medium-mesh sieve and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To make the Balsamic Red Onions: Use only the center onion slices; they should be at least 2 inches in diameter. Reserve the remaining slices for another use. Separate the slices into rings. Combine the onion, vinegar, and olive oil in a bowl and toss to mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Marinate at room temperature for 2 hours. Remove the onion rings from the bowl with a slotted spoon and place them in a single layer on a nonstick drying sheet on a dehydrator shelf. Reserve any marinating juices for garnish. Dehydrate at 105°F for 2 1/2 hours, or until tender and still slightly moist.

To prepare the lettuce: Combine the lettuce, vinegar, and olive oil in a bowl and toss to mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the lettuce to a sieve to drain. Arrange the lettuce in a single layer on a dehydrator shelf and dehydrate at 105°F for 30 minutes, or until wilted but not dried. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Assembly: Ladle one-fourth of the soup into each bowl. Arrange some of the lettuce pieces and red onion slices around the bowl. Spoon some of the reserved onion marinating juices around the onion and lettuce.

Wine Notes: The soup is accented by the sweet-and-sour flavors of the balsamic onions. Oregon Pinot Gris from Sokol Blosser tames these flavors and has enough body to withstand the concentration in the soup. The wine delivers both a hint of sweetness and green, leafy notes to complement the wilted Bibb lettuce.

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