I found a new obsession — smoked pork chops! Seriously! Whoever thought of smoking pork chops? Brilliant!!!
While searching for a decent ham steak, I stumbled upon smoked pork chops – I had honestly never heard of them before. They are surprisingly tender, moist, and crammed full of flavour. A perfect addition to soup!
This is a most luxurious, incredible soup that is simple and quick to make – perfect for a busy weeknight, or to impress company. 😊 (That’s never my goal, but certain people arrive at our house for supper with great expectations.)
To make garlic-infused olive oil, heat 1/4 cup in a small saucepan over low heat. Add 4 large garlic cloves that have been sliced thinly to the pan and allow to simmer gently for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the garlic to steep while you prepare the soup.
Chop the shallots, potato, and cauliflower, add to a stockpot, and over medium heat, cook in olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Pour in the vodka and allow it to cook for another minute or so before adding the chicken broth. Cover and simmer until the veggies are tender – about 15 minutes.
Using a stick blender, process the soup until smooth. If you are a texture person, this is the perfect time to press the soup through a fine metal mesh sieve. I can go either way on texture, so if it’s a crazy evening I just continue to the next step. If I’m planning on company and want the soup to be a little more creamy and elegant, I press it through the sieve.
Add the broccoli to the soup, return to a simmer, and allow to cook for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the smoked pork chops in a frying pan over medium heat. It’s nice to get a little brown carmelization on them before cutting the chops up and adding to the soup.
Remove from heat, then add the cream and shredded parmesan cheese, stirring until melted. Season to taste with salt and white pepper, then add pieces of smoked pork chops to the soup.
To serve, ladle into bowls and drizzle with a small amount of garlic-infused olive oil.
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Creamy Cauliflower and Smoked Pork Chop Soup with Garlic-Infused Olive Oil
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
A decadent, yet simple to make, soup
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 shallots, peeled and chopped
- 1 large potato, peeled and chopped
- 1 head cauliflower, core removed and florets cut into smaller pieces
- 1/2 cup vodka
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
- 2 smoked pork chops
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
- Salt and white pepper
Instructions
- In a small sauce pan combine 1/4 cup olive oil and thinly sliced garlic cloves. Bring to a gently simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the garlic to steep while making soup.
- In stock pot over medium heat, cook the shallots, potato, and cauliflower in 2 Tbsp olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Add the vodka and cook for another minute. Add the stock, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Using a stick blender, process the soup until smooth. Press through a sieve, if desired.
- Return soup to a boil and add the broccoli, cooking for 5 minutes.
- Brown the smoked pork chops in a frying pan, then cut the meat off the bones.
- Remove soup from heat, stir in the cream and parmesan cheese, allowing it to heat and melt, then add the pork. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.
- To serve, ladle into bowls and drizzle with a small amount of garlic-infused olive oil.
Notes
For extra flavor, add some of the garlic cloves to the soup before puréeing. The garlic will be mellow to taste and soft in texture after simmering in the olive oil.
Leftover garlic and olive oil are a great addition to Swedish mashed vegetables, called rotmos.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
