Oh weird, it’s snowing again. Let’s make some soup to warm things up! I love cauliflower in just about every form imaginable, and this soup was no exception. It was the perfect thickness, completely delicious for how little went into it, and any time I get to add cheese to anything is just fine by me. As with most soups, this was even better the next day, and someone liked it so much that they basically stopped breathing in order to spoon this in as fast as possible. So you know it’s good.
CHEESY CAULIFLOWER-POTATO SOUP (makes an enormous pot of soup)
– 1 large head cauliflower, broken into florets
– 2 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
– 5 cups chicken broth (I thought this made the perfect soup consistency, but if you like a thinner soup, add another cup or two)
– 1 vidalia onion, diced
– 2 cups freshly-shredded cheddar cheese
– 1 tbsp. nutmeg
– 1/4 c. heavy cream
– 1 tbsp. butter
– 1 tbsp. EVOO
– Kosher salt – about a tablespoon to start, then as needed
– Chives, for topping
1. In a French oven, melt the butter and EVOO over medium heat.
2. Add the diced onion, add a pinch or two of kosher salt, and “sweat” the onion until soft, approx. 10 minutes.
3. When soft, add the cauliflower florets and potato pieces. Mix it all up. Don’t panic when you see all of this basically filling the pot to the top. Think of all the delicious soup you’re going to have!
4. Add chicken broth. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for approx. 30 minutes. You’ll see that the florets and potato pieces get soft and fork-tender.
5. With an immersion blender, blend the soup to your desired consistency. Taste, then add the cheddar (it was great to find DiBruno Brothers cheese in a store around here, but any cheddar you can find that you like is good, too). Stir it in so that it melts, then taste it.
6. Add nutmeg, heavy cream and kosher salt to taste.
7. Serve a bowl topped with a little more shredded cheese and chives. Snuggle up and enjoy.
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