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    Home • Recipes • Classic French Dishes

    Cauliflower Cream Soup (Crème Dubarry)

    Published: Jan 22, 2020 · Modified: Sep 22, 2023 by Jill Colonna28 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Dubarry Cauliflower Cream Soup is a French classic, the crème de la crème of French soups. This soup also has a hot royal romance behind it, which simmered away between Versailles and Paris in the 18th century.

    Discover what is Dubarry soup, its origin, who was Madame du Barry plus the authentic recipe.

    A seemingly simple soup with so much richness. No wonder this was crafted for a favorite mistress. Love the history and the soup.

    Jennifer
    cauliflower soup topped with florets and parsley candlelit

    Why is it Called Crème Dubarry?

    Known as Crème Dubarry or Velouté du Barry, Dubarry Cauliflower Cream Soup is a French classic.

    Its origin? It was created for Madame du Barry, King Louis XV's last and favourite mistress, who adored cauliflower.

    Turning to my French Larousse dictionary, anything called 'Du Barry' in French cuisine contains cauliflower - from a simple salad to the most famous Crème Dubarry, often served on winter menus in chic Parisian restaurants.

    Why Dubarry? This rich cream of cauliflower soup gets its name from the Comtesse du Barry, who adored the humble chou-fleur. Trust the French to bring cauliflower and a hungry royal love affair together!

    Who was the Madame du Barry?

    The gourmet Madame, then Comtesse, du Barry was the last mistress and favourite of King Louis XV. (Not to be confused with the chain of Parisian boutiques, Comtesse du Barry. Known for its gourmet tinned meals of foie gras or truffles.)

    Madame was renowned for her beauty, her blond curls, her blue eyes, her love for luxury - and her way of wrapping her little finger around aristocratic, influential men.

    Antoine and I were intrigued to visit part of the residence given to her by Louis XV, where she stayed in Louveciennes in Les Yvelines, 10km west of Paris. Alas, the domaine is now private and not open to the public - but once a year for just a couple of hours, guided visits are arranged in May by the Office de Tourisme de Boucles de Seine.  As photos were not permitted inside the residence, my photos are restricted to the lush grounds.

    Louveciennes was host to painters such as Madame Vigée Le Brun (who painted 3 portraits of Madame du Barry) and the Impressionists. Camille Pissaro also later lived here and Sisley painted many landscapes, which shows not that much has changed outside her residence.

    It's another lovely walk in the area, as part of the 4 Impressionist Walks by the Seine (see my post on the Renoir walk from Chatou to Carrières-sur-Seine).

    Outside Madame du Barry's residence was the enormous pipe - still camouflaged today - in the lush countryside.

    Apparently the noise of the water from the pipes was rather distressing for Madame; it transported water to the Versailles fountains from the Seine river via the Machine du Marly, an extremely incredible feat of engineering to cope with Louis XIV's luxurious tastes for the palace.

    bowl of creamy cauliflower soup topped with a classic French garnish of raw florets and herbs

    Madame du Barry or Countess?

    The Countess wasn't always a countess. Raised as Jeanne Bécu in a convent (since her mother had a dangerous liaison with a Franciscan monk), she then worked her way up from hairdresser to haberdashery in Paris. It was the wealthy, influential casino owner, Jean-Baptiste du Barry that changed her direction as Mademoiselle.

    Jeanne became his mistress, and became mistress to others too in royal circles - right up to Louis XV. One problem: she wasn't appreciated as being a non-aristocrat in French society and the king couldn't see her unless she had a title. The King solved this by ensuring her marriage to Du Barry's brother, the Count Guillaume du Barry in 1768, giving her title of Countess - even if she was and is still referred to as Madame.

    After King Louis XV's death in 1774, Madame du Barry wasn't permitted to stay in the court (Queen Marie-Antoinette thought of her as rather common - read vulgar) and so she stayed here. She loved to lavishly entertain in her oak-panelled dining room.

    Louis XV's Royal Love Potion

    It was apparently under this enormous tilleul or lime tree that the elderly King Louis XV and young Madame du Barry would sip chocolat together in Louveciennes, not far from Versailles. Although the luxury of chocolate (as a drink) was brought to the French court via Louis XIII then Louis XIV, it was Louis XV that was reputed to have loved chocolate the most.

    Considered an aphrodisiac drink, the king prepared his own love potion chocolate drink in his apartments in Versailles. He added an egg yolk to his chocolate recipe to ensure its extra smooth texture. See the chocolate recipe here, via Versailles Palace.

    Enough of the history of Dubarry - now on to making that soup! I wonder if they served the chocolate before or after that soup?

    bowl of cauliflower cream soup garnished with florets, parsley and by candlelight and mistletoe

    Classic French Method of Making Dubarry Cream

    Keeping with rich, velvety textures, Countess du Barry's chef, Louis Signot, created a soup with Jeanne's favourite vegetable. It was so simple yet sophisticated enough for royal approval.

    According to the French culinary legend, Auguste Escoffier in his Guide Culinaire (page 34), there are two versions of Dubarry Cauliflower Soup.

    • One is a cream based on milk, cream and potatoes;
    • the other Crème Dubarry or Vélouté is based on a white roux (butter and flour) with added egg yolks and cream at the end of cooking.

    Dubarry Cauliflower Cream Soup

    Seen as Louis XV's chocolate potions included egg yolks, I'm guessing the King cracked for the latter version. So I'm sticking with this.

    One recipe I got at our local market, however, used a whopping 6 egg yolks. Instead I prefer the recipe as follows, as it's silky enough without being too overwhelmingly rich to start off a meal.

    preparing French cauliflower soup with 2 egg yolks at the end of cooking and grating the vegetable as a garnish

    How to Prepare Dubarry Cream

    Normally I would use a potato to thicken soup but this French recipe uses flour instead.

    Make a white roux by adding butter, gently cooking the leeks and adding the flour to make a paste - then stir in the stock and tiny cauliflower florets. I also use this method for this creamy Mushroom Cappuccino.

    All of the bitter cauliflower stalk is discarded. Small, digestible florets are used, cleaned first in a mixture of water with a little  vinegar. Keep the smallest florets aside for the garniture.

    Once mixed or blended using a stick blender (AKA giraffe in French), create the liaison (pun totally intended with that romantic history).
    A mix of the egg yolks and cream are gradually blended into the soup: add some of the soup liquid to the cream, then add the whole lot to create the Dubarry cream.

    bowl of soup garnished as a Dubarry but made with broccoli
    Same method and classic garnish as Crème Dubarry but made with broccoli

    Cauliflower Garniture à la Française

    The garniture is just as important as the soup! The classic, according to Auguste Escoffier in his Guide Culinaire, is to add tiny cauliflower florets (pre-cooked à l'anglaise - English-style in boiling water) and some chervil.

    My personal preference? Forget cooking the garnish. Just sprinkle with the smallest of raw florets: the raw crudité-style cauliflower adds a magnificent crunch! I also finely grate a cauliflower floret on top of the soup too.

    Less Classic Garniture: Seared scallops are another possibility. If you've seen my recipe for Curried Cauliflower soup, I got the idea of adding seared scallops when tasting wine under January hailstones in Clos Veogeot at the annual Burgundy wine festival, la fête de Saint Vincent.

    As the Parisian gerbet macaron wasn't yet created in Paris, why not serve the Dubarry Cauliflower Cream with a mini curry macaron? The recipe is in the savoury macarons chapter from my book, Mad About Macarons! I'm sure the Countess would have approved, even if just for the mischievous fun of it!

    Dubarry Cauliflower Cream Soup

    Cauliflower Cream Soup (Crème Dubarry)

    Dubarry Cauliflower Cream Soup Decoration

    Dubarry Cauliflower Cream Soup

    Jill Colonna
    A rich, creamy French classic soup or velouté that was created for Madame du Barry, King Louis XV's last and favourite mistress, who adored cauliflower
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 50 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer, Light Lunch, Soup, Starter
    Cuisine French
    Servings 6 people
    Calories 160 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 700 g (1.5lb) organic cauliflower (prepared after stalk/leaves removed)
    • 2 leeks (white part only) sliced
    • 55 g (2oz) butter (unsalted)
    • 2 tablespoon flour (all purpose)
    • 1 litre chicken stock * (stock mixed with hot water)
    • 2 egg yolks organic
    • 100 g (3.5oz) half-fat cream or crème fraîche
    • Fresh chervil or flat-leaf parsley optional, for decor
    • ½ teaspoon each of salt (fleur de sel) & freshly ground pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Remove the bitter stalk and leaves from the cauliflower, reserving the florets. Wash in a mixture of water with a dash of vinegar and set aside. Clean and slice the leeks.
    • In a large, heavy pot, melt the butter then sweat the leeks in it until translucent but not brown. After 4-5 minutes, add the flour and stir together well until a smooth paste forms. Gradually whisk in the hot stock. Add the cauliflower florets, setting aside a few of the raw, smallest florets for decor. Bring to the boil.
    • Cover, turn down the heat and leave to simmer gently for about 25 minutes.
    • Towards the end of cooking, in a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the cream, salt and pepper. Add a ladle-full of the soup's hot liquid and whisk together. Using a hand-mixer, blitz the soup until well blended.
      Gradually whisk in the yolk and cream mixture until the soup is smooth. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
    • Serve topped with tiny raw cauliflower florets, chopped fresh chervil or parsley.

    Notes

    *  fresh chicken stock is best for this recipe, although I cheat and buy frozen stock from our local gourmet frozen French food store, Picard.
    Decorate with a few tiny reserved (raw) cauliflower florets and sprigs of fresh chervil or parsley. 
    This recipe is also great using broccoli - although just don't call it crème dubarry...
    Keyword cauliflower cream, cauliflower soup, Crème Dubarry

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    Meet Jill Colonna

    Both Scottish and French, Jill is author of patisserie books and French food blog, Mad About Macarons since 2010. Join her 30 years' full-time experience of living the healthy food life in Paris - via easy recipes and local food guides in France.

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    1. Lorraine

      November 05, 2023 at 6:51 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious, a keeper.

      Reply
      • Jill Colonna

        November 05, 2023 at 11:02 pm

        Thanks - so happy you've tried this, Lorraine.

        Reply
    2. Sally Ferguson

      May 23, 2023 at 10:52 am

      Can you freeze this soup
      It sound delicious and the history lesson was pretty good

      Reply
      • Jill Colonna

        May 23, 2023 at 11:53 am

        I haven't ever frozen this soup, Sally but yes it would freeze no problem. I'd use it within 2-3 months. Let me know how you like the recipe!

        Reply
    3. Thomasina

      April 16, 2023 at 8:40 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for the history lesson Jill. I have always wondered who Madame du Barry was as seen the name in Paris. I love cauliflower but sometimes it lacks flavour but your recipe is tops.

      Reply
      • Jill Colonna

        April 16, 2023 at 10:01 pm

        Here's to cauliflower soup with tons of flavour with a wee story behind it. Thanks, Thomasina.

        Reply
    4. Jacqueline McColl

      April 07, 2023 at 11:29 am

      5 stars
      I just made this soup and it's absolutely wonderful. I used cashew cream for heavy cream. This recipe will be on my perfect recipes list. Thankyou !!

      Reply
      • Jill Colonna

        April 07, 2023 at 12:39 pm

        So thrilled to hear it's one on your perfect recipe list. Thanks so much, Jacqueline. Have a lovely weekend!

        Reply
    5. Lisa

      April 03, 2023 at 5:34 pm

      This is such a departure from my favorite cauliflower soup. I will definitely give this a try. I love the history behind it. It will be hard to not use dill weed and caraway in it!

      Reply
      • Jill Colonna

        April 03, 2023 at 5:44 pm

        Hi Lisa,
        Sounds like you'll just have both recipes to enjoy that are different. Please do give this a try and let me know what you think. Merci x

        Reply
    6. Martin

      January 23, 2023 at 2:00 pm

      5 stars
      I made this yesterday using broccoli. Absolutely brilliant. Definitely on my go-to list now.

      Reply
      • Jill Colonna

        January 23, 2023 at 3:30 pm

        So happy you like this - yes, I love it also made with broccoli - let's not tell any gourmet French Dubarry gendarmes lol!

        Reply
    7. Kim Robertson

      December 15, 2022 at 10:29 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for a group, I used plant based milk due to a dairy allergy. It was delicious, and I will certainly be making this again.

      Reply
      • Jill Colonna

        December 15, 2022 at 11:07 pm

        Good to know that it's good also with plant-based milk. Thanks for your feedback, Kim.

        Reply
    8. Jennifer Muller

      January 16, 2022 at 1:45 pm

      5 stars
      A seemingly simple soup with so much richness. No wonder this was crafted for a favorite mistress. Love the history and the soup.

      Reply
      • Jill Colonna

        January 16, 2022 at 2:54 pm

        Thanks so much for your lovely words, Jennifer. Much appreciated!

        Reply
    9. Janice Pattie

      January 31, 2020 at 2:00 pm

      5 stars
      Such a delicious soup. with so much history! I like the sound of a bit of crunch in the cauliflower soup, I do enjoy a bit of raw cauliflower.

      Reply
      • Jill Colonna

        January 31, 2020 at 3:41 pm

        So glad you like "le crunch" in there, Janice. It's like serving up crudités at the same time!

        Reply
    10. CAMILLA HAWKINS

      January 29, 2020 at 5:51 pm

      5 stars
      I love cauliflower soup and this one sounds super creamy and delicious, must try!

      Reply
      • Jill Colonna

        January 31, 2020 at 3:41 pm

        Thanks Camilla. I'm like you, love Cauliflower soup - but this slightly different method of preparation is such a wonderful discovery!

        Reply
    11. All That I'm Eating

      January 24, 2020 at 2:01 pm

      Well, I didn't know that! Dubarry cauliflower soup sounds like it needs to be in my kitchen soon, it's perfect for this time of year, particularly with the addition of cream.

      Reply
      • Jill Colonna

        January 25, 2020 at 12:02 pm

        Thank you. Isn't it interesting? Love a bit of a story behind a recipe and to think it was just up the road from us! It's a very interesting addition with the yolks, too.

        Reply
    12. Thomasina

      January 23, 2020 at 8:29 pm

      5 stars
      I am intrigued by the Countess also - fascinating reading Jill. AND I love cauliflower so your recipe will go down well in our house. You certainly do live in an area steeped in history so thank you for sharing.

      Reply
      • Jill Colonna

        January 23, 2020 at 10:07 pm

        Thanks, Thomasina - anything to make you bowl over a soup recipe with a wee bit of history!

        Reply
    13. Christina Conte

      January 23, 2020 at 5:06 pm

      5 stars
      What a lovely post and recipe, Jill! I love the history behind this soup and seeing the photos (too bad none were allowed inside). Even the pipe picture is SO cool! You are very lucky to be steeped in so much history. I'm lucky if I see a house that was built in the early 1900s here. I'm not like the Countess as I'm not a big fan of cauliflower, but I think I may like this soup! Looks so creamy! 🙂

      Reply
      • Jill Colonna

        January 23, 2020 at 5:11 pm

        I think the kids are fed up with me saying how much I feel lucky to live in this area - it's incredible to think of all those personalities walked around here and there's always some kind of story to tell, whether royal or Parisian or both! Isn't it funny? I'm not the greatest of cauliflower fans either but this soup has changed my ideas on the vegetable that frankly gets a bad name really (normally I have to put curry in it, lol!) I love its consistency. Would never have thought of adding yolks. Thanks for your lovely words!

        Reply
    14. Betty

      January 23, 2020 at 4:53 pm

      Looks lovely, Jill and we will definitely be trying it out. We love cauliflower and so I'm glad for another way of using it. And thank you so much for the informative post about the rather notorious Madame DuBarry as well!

      Reply
      • Jill Colonna

        January 23, 2020 at 4:57 pm

        This woman intrigues me, Betty. Thanks for joining in the chou-fleur fun!

        Reply

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