With a pile of cauliflower in my fridge this week, I had to come up with something and amazingly enough, created a really great soup. The teenager and I took it for lunch with some biscuits. Soup really is an easy thing, you can change things around all you like to suit your tastes. Kids often will eat veggies this way too, as they are pureed and topped with cheese, seem to go down far better.
Karen’s Cauliflower Soup
Photo copyright Karen Humphrey, used with permission
1 head of cauliflower, coarsely chopped into florets
1 leek, sliced (white and light green parts only) and rinsed
3 smallish Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
6 cups chicken stock
fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: grated sharp cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon
Over medium heat in a large pot, melt a hunk of butter and saute the leeks until soft, about 4 minutes or so. Add the carrots and potatoes, stirring around a bit, then the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and add the cauliflower. Turn the heat down to low so it’s still simmering, then partially cover with a lid and allow to cook for about 20 minutes, or until the veggies are all soft.
With a slotted spoon, remove about half the vegetables. It doesn’t matter if you have exactly half or which ones you take out, you just want some chunky pieces for texture. At this point, add salt and pepper to taste.
Using an immersion blender, blend the remaining soup until smooth. Stir in the reserved veggies and fresh thyme leaves. Serve with bits of grated cheese and crumbled bacon on top.
Serves 4-5