Cauliflower Soup Recipe

I made this soup tonight for the first time, and let me tell you, it was delicious! It reminded me of a lighter, healthier version of creamy potato soup. You can leave the soup chunky, or you can do like I did and blend it up, or use a wand mixer, at the end to make it more like bisque. This is a nice comfort type soup, and was really good after a cold, wet afternoon, but I’m sure this would also be refreshing on a warm summer evening.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick butter, divided
• 1/2 whole onion, finely diced
• 1 whole carrot finely diced
• 1 stalk celery, finely diced
• 1-2 whole cauliflower heads (roughly chopped)
• 2 tablespoons fresh or dried parsley, chopped
• 2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth or stock
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 2-4 teaspoons salt, to taste
• 1 cup (heaping) sour cream, room temperature

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt four tablespoons butter. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown.
2. Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional couple of minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine.
3. Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour in chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.
4. In a medium saucepan, melt four tablespoons butter. Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine. Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly.
5. Remove from heat and stir in one cup of half-and-half. Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.
6. Just before serving, place the sour cream in a serving bowl or soup tureen. Add two to three ladles of hot soup into the tureen, and stir to combine with the sour cream. Pour in remaining soup and stir.
7. Serve immediately.

This soup is sure to be a hit with your family. Enjoy!