My Best Ever Cauliflower Soup
My Best Ever Cauliflower Soup
My friend Kim and I used to laugh about the covers of all the December issues of women’s magazine. They always declared it was “The Best Christmas Issue Ever!!!” When I made this soup earlier today I knew it was extra good. A friend was over and I gave him a bowl to taste. He looked at me and said, wait for it…”This is the best cauliflower soup you ever made.” I didn’t have a name for the soup yet so I decided to call it My Best Ever Cauliflower Soup . The soup lives up to its name. The soup itself has plenty of flavor, even without the toppings. With the toppings it becomes something very special. If you are looking for a really good and easy soup recipe- I suggest you give this one a try.
My Best Ever Cauliflower Soup
3 T. oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 small head cauliflower, chopped
1 qt. chicken stock, but you could use beef or vegetable stock instead
1 qt. canned tomatoes, I had home canned, you could use a 28 oz. can of tomatoes
4 ribs celery, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 T. curry powder, I used my homemade curry powder
2 t. turmeric
1 t. cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Mushroom topping:
2 T. oil
1 onion, diced
1 lb. baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced
3 T. chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Additional toppings:
Green onions, sliced
Cashews, you could also use peanuts
Sesame oil
Heat oil in soup pot and cook onion until tender. Add cauliflower and cook about 5 minutes longer. Add remaining ingredients and cook, uncovered, until vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes. While soup is cooking make mushroom topping. Heat oil in small skillet and cook onion until golden. Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are almost caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add parsley and cook a few more minutes. Set aside until ready to use. When soup is done, puree until smooth. To serve soup ladle some hot soup into a bowl. Top with some mushroom mixture and add a few green onions, cashews and a drizzle of sesame oil. Serves 6.
Cheesy Cauliflower Mash
Cheesy Cauliflower Mash
If you are looking for a fun way to serve cauliflower you might try serving it mashed. I know people who started serving mashed cauliflower as a lower carb option for mashed potatoes, but they are good enough to make just because they taste so good. I found myself with a very large head of cauliflower and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it. My friend Jonathan helped me to decide. I mentioned the cauliflower to him and he reminded me how much he likes cauliflower mash. So I made this for him.
I started by cutting up the cauliflower and boiling it until tender. I drained it and then mashed it up a little. When you do that some of the cooking water will come out. Drain it off. I then started adding all the yummy stuff. Butter, a whole stick, and 4 ounces of cream cheese. The heat of the cauliflower helped to melt the cheese. Then I added some salt and pepper and a healthy dash of hot sauce. I made it cheesier by shredding 4 ounces of sharp cheddar into the mix. As I stirred it in the cheese melted. I felt it still needed something. I added a cup of shredded Pecorino Romano cheese and added some green onions and fresh chopped parsley, too. What can I say? I tasted great.
You can serve it with or without gravy. Sometimes I put it in a casserole dish and add bread crumbs and extra butter on top and cook in a 350 degree oven until bubbly and a little brown on the top.
No matter how you finish it off, cheesy cauliflower is an easy and tasty way to serve this very versatile veggie.
