Soup, Glorious Soup

"This is quite edible." We've been married for 34 years. This is the highest praise any of my soups has ever received. Daddy-O said he this was his favorite soup ever. (Daddy-O is a meat and potatoes kind of guy, who doesn't particularly care for soup.)

Now, get ready for this—it was CAULIFLOWER soup! And I'll agree, it was really, really good. I've had the recipe lying on the kitchen counter for a couple of weeks. I bought the head of cauliflower several days ago. But I just couldn't bring myself to actually make it. Until last night. We had lunch yesterday at our favorite local restaurant. Meatloaf and smashed potatoes was the special. They make really good meatloaf.

So, to balance that delicious but filling lunch, I told Daddy-O that I was going to try the cauliflower soup for supper. He just looked at me. I think he figured I'd put it off again. But since I didn't have another plan, I pulled out the cauliflower, a carrot and a rib of celery. It's a soup that takes a little work, but none of it is hard. Takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. It's rich and creamy, filled with healthy vegetables. It makes a big pot full. I'll have it for lunch today, but there will still be some left. I will put that in the freezer and see what happens. If it's a freezable soup, this really will be a super (pardon the pun) recipe!

CAULIFLOWER SOUP
          ... adapted from Taste Of Home

1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets (I didn't use the thick stems)
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/4 cup chopped celery
2-1/2 cups water
1 chicken bouillon cube (or 2 tsp. instant bouillon)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups 2% milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
few drops of hot pepper sauce, or to taste (I used Texas Pete)

In a large saucepan, combine the cauliflower, carrot, celery, water and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Do not drain!

In another saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper until smooth. (I used a whisk.) Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat and stir in cheese until melted. Add hot pepper sauce, if desired.

Stir the cheese sauce into the cauliflower mixture. (I used a potato masher and then mashed the cauliflower some, so that there weren't such big pieces. Make the texture suit you.)

Makes about 2 quarts


We garnished it with a little extra cheese. And Daddy-O thought a little crumbled bacon on top would have been nice, too.  Maybe next time.