Four Ways with Cauliflower

Soup it: Warm a generous glug of olive oil in a soup pot, add a sliced onion, and cook low and slow until the onions are very soft—about 20 minutes. Add a chopped head of cauliflower, 4 cups water, and simmer for about an hour. Purée and season well with salt.

Pulse a chopped head of cauliflower in a food processor until it resembles couscous, stir-fry for a minute in olive oil with garlic, and top with your favorite meat, bean or vegetable stew.

Add several inches of canola oil to a heavy pot and heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add cauliflower florets and fry until crisp and brown. Toss with hot sauce mixed with melted butter and serve with blue cheese dressing— a vegetarian take on hot wings

Steam or boil chopped cauliflower until very tender, and then pulse in the food processor until creamy. Add a dollop of sour cream and chives and serve as an alternative to plain old mashed potatoes.