Elevate cauliflower to party easy appetizers status with cheesy cauliflower soup, with less fat and fewer calories than most cream soups. Cauliflower and cheese are a match made in heaven. It's so versatile! This hearty cauliflower soup recipe is a great comfort food, perfect for a drizzly fall day.
Ingredients:
1 Small Head Cauliflower
1 Medium Russet Potato
1 Yellow Onion Sliced
2 Carrots Shredded
2 Tbs Butter
1 Cup Half and Half
2 Cups Milk
3oz Cheese Shredded (Havarti, Cheddar or Gruyere)
3 Tbs Chives Diced
First, cut the cauliflower and potato with skin into approximately even pieces and place them in a pot with cold water. Starting in cold water helps everything cook more evenly in this case, rather than cooking from the outside in as you would with hot water. Salt the water and bring it up to a boil. Reduce to a medium simmer and cook until the cauliflower is easily pierced with a knife, which is about 10-12 minutes. Drain and place in a blender.
In the same pot add the butter and sauté the onion and carrots until soft. Once soft add the half and half and milk and cook until hot but not scalding. Pour everything in the blender.
If your blender has a plastic piece on the lid that can be removed, remove it and place a towel over the hole. If the soup is too hot, the pressure created by the steam can blow the top off sending hot scalding soup everywhere. Removing the piece relieves the pressure and will prevent this. Another tip is to pulse it a few times first to get it going, this should prevent it from splashing too high. Let it run for a minute or two to make sure it’s pureed well.
Pour back in the pot, add the cheese and chives and season to taste. Heat until the cheese is melted. I used Havarti and it was wonderful, but feel free to use whatever soft melting cheese you like.
Serve with croutons and more chives to garnish.
1 Small Head Cauliflower
1 Medium Russet Potato
1 Yellow Onion Sliced
2 Carrots Shredded
2 Tbs Butter
1 Cup Half and Half
2 Cups Milk
3oz Cheese Shredded (Havarti, Cheddar or Gruyere)
3 Tbs Chives Diced
First, cut the cauliflower and potato with skin into approximately even pieces and place them in a pot with cold water. Starting in cold water helps everything cook more evenly in this case, rather than cooking from the outside in as you would with hot water. Salt the water and bring it up to a boil. Reduce to a medium simmer and cook until the cauliflower is easily pierced with a knife, which is about 10-12 minutes. Drain and place in a blender.
In the same pot add the butter and sauté the onion and carrots until soft. Once soft add the half and half and milk and cook until hot but not scalding. Pour everything in the blender.
If your blender has a plastic piece on the lid that can be removed, remove it and place a towel over the hole. If the soup is too hot, the pressure created by the steam can blow the top off sending hot scalding soup everywhere. Removing the piece relieves the pressure and will prevent this. Another tip is to pulse it a few times first to get it going, this should prevent it from splashing too high. Let it run for a minute or two to make sure it’s pureed well.
Pour back in the pot, add the cheese and chives and season to taste. Heat until the cheese is melted. I used Havarti and it was wonderful, but feel free to use whatever soft melting cheese you like.
Serve with croutons and more chives to garnish.