This is a satisfying and light soup when you're craving comfort food but don't want to load up on starchy carbohydrates. The soup tastes a little like potato chowder but without the potatoes. You'll need a small head of cauliflower for the soup or half a large head. I've also made the soup with frozen cauliflower when the fresh stuff is too expensive at the markets (or I don't want to take the time and effort to wash and cut up the cauliflower!). The soup has plenty of other veggies in it--onions, carrots, celery, and garlic--and a little bacon for flavor. Although you can use an immersion blender to process the soup in the pot, I don't bother. Just mash the super-soft cauliflower with a potato masher and call it a day. The soup will be thick but still retain a little texture to it, which I actually prefer to a cream soup. To keep the soup lower in calories and fat (and because I usually add a little cheddar cheese to the soup before serving it), I use one percent milk in the soup, but you can use what you have/like, including half and half or cream if you don't mind the fat and calories. The soup is great for lunches and for dinner alongside a salad and/or sandwich. Enjoy!
Cauliflower and Bacon Soup -- Serves 4+
1 teaspoon of canola oil
1 small cauliflower, washed and cored, and cut into small florets/pieces (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup of chopped onion
1/4 cup of chopped celery (celery leaves are fine, too)
1/2 cup of chopped or shredded carrots
2-3 teaspoons of chopped garlic
3 cups of water, plus 1 tablespoon of reduced sodium chicken base (I use "Better Than
Bullion)
1-2 tablespoons of cooked bacon crumbles (from a bag is fine)
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt or to taste
1/2 cup of so of milk (you can use less or more, depending on how thick you want your
soup)
1/4 cup of chopped parsley
1/2 cup of cheddar cheese, optional but good
Heat the oil in a large pot and add the cauliflower to it. Cook the cauliflower for a couple of minutes, stirring it well. Add water to cover the cauliflower, bring the water to a boil, cover the cauliflower, turn down the heat to a simmer, and cook the cauliflower until it is very, very tender. This may take half an hour or so, depending on how the toughness of the cauliflower you used (you can add a little more water, if you need to, to keep the cauliflower mostly covered). While the cauliflower is cooking put the onion, celery, and carrots in a large microwave safe bowl or measure (I use a Pyrex container), and microwave them for several minutes or until they soften. Stir the garlic into the hot vegetables. When the cauliflower is tender, take a potato masher and mash it well (you don't need to drain it). It should look like lumpy mashed potatoes. Stir in the vegetables that you microwaved, the water/chicken base, the bacon crumbles, pepper, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir it well and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the mixture simmer, partially covered, for 15-20 minutes or so or until it has thickened to your liking. Stir in the cheese (if you're using it), the milk, and the parsley and serve the soup.
