Are We Having Soup Yet?

I can’t figure out whether it’s time to make soup yet. One day it’s 99 degrees and climbing; the next day it’s positively wintry--or what passes for wintry in Southern California: afternoons in the low 70s. Brrr. Then just when you get out the soup pot, the temperature climbs again.

The thing is, for a cook, soup is more a process than a dish. It’s something you start thinking about in the morning or even the day before. You do the marketing and stock up on all the basics you should have in your refrigerator every day but don’t: celery, carrots, leeks--the kind of bonne femme aromatics that really make you feel like you’re keeping a good house.

Then there’s the matter of stock. Cooks go nuts for stock. I think in the back of everyone’s mind there’s a niggling feeling that there ought to be a big pot on the back of every stove kept at a constant simmer. Food safety considerations aside, if I tried to pull that off in my non-air-conditioned house, I’d soon be living alone. Just me and my soup.

It’s really just a problem of perception. When most of us think of soup, we picture one kind: a stock hearty enough to sustain life on its own, hunks of meat so well-cooked they fall apart at the touch of a fork, vegetables that swoon when spooned.

These are the big soups, soups that warm you up just thinking about them. And that means they’re soups that are entirely unthinkable most of the year.

But there are other soups that are more adaptable. I’m not just talking about cold soups, though those are very nice in hot weather. I’m talking about in-between soups, soups that are served hot but aren’t so process-intensive. Soups that can be made as quickly as the urge strikes and eaten before the weather changes.

Cream of cauliflower soup is one of those, and it’s full of surprises. The first is how developed the flavors are for something that is cooked in less than an hour. A subtle combination of complementary ingredients makes up for the lack of cooking time. There’s just enough chicken stock to give body without overpowering the flavor of the cauliflower. Just enough leeks for a touch of buttery sweetness. Potatoes to play up cauliflower’s earthy side and mustard to bring out its brassiness.

It also seems much richer than you would expect for something that has only half a tablespoon of cream per serving. That’s because it’s thickened with potato rather than with reduced cream, a trick that’s useful for many vegetable purees. Simply boil a peeled, cubed baking potato along with the soup’s dominant vegetable. Then puree the whole thing in the blender. The starch from the potato binds the liquid, giving a rich, silky texture.

There are a couple of things that need attention. First, be sure the leeks cook to the point that they are completely soft before pureeing. They can be a little tender and still be stringy. Also, the potato must be a baker; waxy boiling potatoes will be more granular when pureed.

Then there’s the whole tricky business of pureeing a hot liquid in the blender. Though the blender is imperfect, the food processor won’t do the job at all. It neither holds enough liquid nor purees finely enough.

Puree the soup in small batches, never filling the blender jar more than half. Hold the lid down firmly, protecting your hand with a kitchen towel. Puree in pulses, starting at the lowest speed and gradually working your way up.

It’s a bit of a hassle, but neglecting one of those points can very well lead to both cook and kitchen splattered with a thick, sticky coat of boiling cream soup--French napalm.

And although that will certainly warm you up, this is hardly the weather for it.

CREAM OF CAULIFLOWER SOUP

1 large leek

1/4 cup butter

1 shallot, minced

2 cups dry white wine

1 (1 1/2-pound) head cauliflower, trimmed to small florets

1 (3/4-pound) baking potato, peeled and cut in small dice

2 cups chicken stock

4 cups water

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, plus more to taste

1/4 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

Grated nutmeg

Be generous with salt; because of the amount of starch from the potato, it takes more than you might think.

Trim root end and tough green leaves from leek. Quarter lengthwise, leaving attached at root end. Wash well under running water, pulling leaves apart to remove all grime. Slice thin.

Combine leek and butter in 4- to 6-quart soup pot, cover and heat slowly over medium heat. Stir occasionally to keep from sticking. Cook 10 minutes and add shallot. Continue cooking, covered, stirring occasionally, until leeks are very soft, about 10 more minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high and add wine. Cook, stirring, until wine has reduced by about half. Add cauliflower and potato and mix well until coated with leek-wine mixture. Add chicken stock and water, cover and bring to boil, about 5 minutes. Remove lid and reduce heat to simmer. Cook gently until potatoes and cauliflower are very tender, about 30 minutes. Cauliflower should smash with spoon.

Remove half of soup to blender. Add half of mustard, sour cream and salt. Pulse to grind, then increase to puree. Remove to clean 3-quart saucepan and repeat with remaining cauliflower mixture and mustard, sour cream and salt.

Bring back just to simmer (don’t boil or sour cream will curdle) and season to taste with additional salt and mustard. Ladle into bowls and grate fresh nutmeg over top.

8 servings. Each serving:

185 calories; 935 mg sodium; 19 mg cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 1.08 grams fiber.

* Cucina Fresca Italian pottery casserole from Pierre Lafonde, Monecito, and Room With a View, Santa Monica.