I had planned to make cauliflower soup for weekend guests, one of whom avoids breads and pasta in his quest for a low-carb diet. But we had too much fun going out and it didn’t get made till our friends were back in Colorado. We resigned ourselves to enjoying it without them.
This recipe is an amalgam of several I found online because none individually was what I was hoping for. Then I added my own touches, including yellow Cheddar to make the soup a lovely golden color and lots of fresh thyme.
Cheesy Cauliflower Soup
2 medium heads cauliflower
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 sweet onion, diced
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced
3 large sprigs fresh thyme
8 to 10 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk or reduced-fat half-and-half, or a mix
2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, preferably a mix of white and yellow
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Fresh thyme leaves and shredded white Cheddar for garnish
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Pull or cut cauliflower into florets. Toss the stalk. Place cauliflower on two rimmed cookie sheets.
Drizzle with 2 tbsp. olive oil. Roast for 10 minutes and flip the florets. Bake 10 more minutes or as needed for cauliflower to become tender and browned on the edges.
In a soup pot over medium-low heat, add the 2 tablespoons olive oil and diced onion. Cook 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent. Add garlic and thyme and cook 2 more minutes.
Add cauliflower and broth to the pot, reserving a few small florets for garnish. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Use an immersion blender to puree about half the cauliflower in the soup to make it creamy but allow some texture (or carefully whirl it, a few cups at a time, in a blender). Stir in half-and-half and milk. Setting aside about 1/4 cup white Cheddar, add shredded cheese to the soup a handful at a time, stirring until completely melted before adding more.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish each serving with roasted cauliflower bits, cheese and fresh thyme leaves.
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