From Chef Daniel Boulud

Recipe Serves: 4 to 6

A Note from Chef Boulud:

Smooth and creamy, with a sweet and spicy taste, this soup can be made a more complete meal by adding slices of cooked lobster or shrimp. You can prepare this recipe in advance and reheat it just before serving. You can also serve this soup with dried apple chips. Slice 1 whole apple very thin. Place the slices in a nonstick pan, and let dry in a 250 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until done.

Soup Ingredients:

• 4 cups unsalted chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads or 2 pinches of saffron powder
• 1 cup Golden Delicious or McIntosh apple, peeled, split, cored, and sliced
• 4 cups cauliflower (about 1 medium head), greens and stem discarded, head broken up into small florets
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced chives

Soup Instructions:

1. Warm the chicken stock over medium heat. Separately, melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, curry powder and saffron and sweat for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add the apple. Sweat for another 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the cauliflower and warm chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat so the liquid simmers and cooks. Skim the surface regularly to remove fat and foam until the cauliflower is tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes. Add the cream and cook for 3 more minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Transfer the soup (in batches if necessary) to a blender or food processor and purée until very smooth. Strain the soup through a fine-mesh sieve. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed. (The soup can be made a day in advance, cooled completely, covered and refrigerated overnight. Rewarm before serving.)

Apple Garnish Ingredients:

• 1 cup Golden Delicious or McIntosh apple, peeled, split, cored and cut into ¼-inch dice

• 1 teaspoon Madras curry powder

• ¼ teaspoon saffron threads or 1 pinch of saffron powder

• Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Apple Garnish Instructions:

1. Place the apple with 1 tablespoon of water in a pan over medium heat. Add the curry powder, saffron, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix well. Cover and cook until the apples are tender, about 3 minutes. Strain and keep warm.

Presentation:

Ladle the soup into 4 warm soup bowls. Evenly divide the diced curried apple over the top and garnish with the chives.