Recently, I found myself with a refrigerator full of cauliflower. You may be wondering how, exactly, one finds themselves with a boatload of cauliflower. Well, I belong to a CSA and this year, I volunteered to be one of their drop-off sites where people from my area come once a week to pick up their box of local organic vegetables.
Once in a while, a CSA member will not pick up their box of veggies and I am left to give it away or use it. You may think this is a great deal for me - it is, except when you find that you have more cauliflower (and apples and acorn squash) than your family can eat (just one head of cauliflower is probably more than my family wants to eat)!
I hate to waste anything and start trying to find ways that I can cook with it and/or freeze it so I can enjoy the produce right through the long months of winter. Making soup is the perfect solution and I absolutely loved this soup - I've made two double batches of it so far!
I've eaten this soup for dinner, I've eaten it for lunch, and I've even eaten it for breakfast! Soup is a surprisingly satisfying mid-morning breakfast served with a piece of buttered multi-grain toast.
And don't be surprised if you see a few more soup recipes here in the future. I've got some good ones to share with you!
Cauliflower Soup
from Ree Drummond at Pioneer Woman Cooks
1 stick Butter, Divided
1/2 whole Onion, Finely Diced
1 whole Carrot Finely Diced
1 stalk Celery, Finely Diced
1 whole (to 2 Whole) Cauliflower Heads (roughly Chopped)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley (chopped)
2 quarts Low-sodium Chicken Broth Or Stock
4 Tablespoons All-purpose flour or gluten free flour
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red cayenne pepper, to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream,
2 - 4 teaspoons salt, to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream,
2 - 4 teaspoons salt, to taste
Shredded cheese for garnish (also optional)
In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown.
In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown.
Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional couple of minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine.
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.
In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Whisk in the flour and cook about one minute. Add the cream and whisk to combine. Add mixture to the simmering soup and allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Add more stock if necessary to achieve desired consistency. Check for seasoning. Blend with a stick blender to desired consistency, or puree half the soup in a blender and add back to rest of the soup for a creamy and chunky soup (I like to have some big pieces of tender cauliflower in the soup).
Sprinkle some grated cheese on top, if desired. Or sometimes I'll sprinkle with a little curry powder for an Indian twist.
Serve immediately, for breakfast even!
Soup can be refrigerated for one week, or frozen for 6 months.
