Soup, It's What's on the Menu

Soup, in Spring?  If you are reading this and you are from Nebraska, you know that we have had another round of Old Man Winter!  If you know me at all, I enjoy soup all year round, well, except when we have extreme summer heat, then I pass it up.  For families, soup is so great for lots of reasons, it can be made in large quantities, you can increase your vegetable intake and did I mention, so easy to prepare?  You just can't beat it!  My weekly trip to the produce section of the store, the day I pick up bananas for .39€ a pound, I noticed cauliflower was on sale.  My thought was on soup, there is nothing better than cauliflower soup!  The best part, my picky teen loved the end result and he had more vegetables in his diet.  Truly a win win!  Here is the recipe I came up with:

Cauliflower Soup: Serves 8-10

Ingredients: 

1 head of cauliflower

2 tbs olive oil

2 tbs butter

1/2 c. onion

1 garlic clove or 1 tsp garlic powder

8 c. chicken broth (I use chicken base and water per directions)

2 tbs fresh or dried parsley

2 c. skim or 1% milk

pepper to taste  (soup should not need salt due to chicken broth, especially if broth is not reduced sodium)

Directions:

1.  Melt butter and olive oil together in large stock pot.  Chop onion and add to melted fat to sauté  Chop rinsed and dried cauliflower into bite size pieces.  Add to fat and onions when onions are beginning to look translucent.  Cook onion and cauliflower for 7-1 minutes.  The sauté process releases the flavor of the cauliflower.  

2.  Add the chicken broth to the vegetables and cook until vegetables are fork tender.  Turn down heat and simmer for 5 minutes.  Gradually add the milk constantly stirring and add parsley.  Simmer for 15 minutes.

3.  For thicker soup, prepare a rouix.  Melt 2 tbs. butter in sauce pan over medium heat, do not allow butter to burn.  Whisk in 1/4 c. flour.  Cook over low heat for a few minutes to slightly brown the flour.  Gradually whisk the rouix into the soup and cook over medium heat until soup has thickened.  Note that the soup will be even thicker when leftover portion is reheated a second time around.

Sauté onions and cauliflower in butter and olive oil to release the flavor of the vegetables

To make a rouix, begin with olive oil and butter

Whisk in flour and cook over low heat to slightly brown the flour,this avoids a pasty tasting result.

Add a pretty salad and you have a lovely, healthy and comforting meal for your family!

~I am passionate about soup: it's easy,warms my soul, feeds my body and increases my family's vegetables in their diet~Ranae