Cheesy Cream of Cauliflower Soup

By Heidi Hoerman
@heidicookssupper

Cauliflower gets a wonderful, mild, creamy flavor when turned into a soup. This is an easy, healthy, tasty way to incorporate cauliflower into your family's diet.

Garnish the soup with homemade croutons, cilantro or parsley, and bacon or parmesan to "gild the lily."

Rating:

★★★★★ 4 votes

Comments:

19 Comments

Serves:

4-6

Prep:

20 Min

Cook:

30 Min

Method:

Stove Top

Blue Ribbon Recipe

Notes from the Test Kitchen:
This soup is a beautiful creamy white and shows really well in a dish with some bright color. Serve it hot with crumbled bacon and chunky croutons... maybe even a little extra shredded cheese and you have a winner!

Ingredients

2 Tbsp: olive oil
1 large: shallot (or 1 medium onion), thinly sliced
1 medium: head of cauliflower, leaves & core removed, broken into flowerets
4 c: chicken broth
1 can(s): evaporated milk
4-6 oz: melting cheese, e.g. laughing cow wedges, grated white cheddar, etc.
: salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c: chopped parsley or cilantro (optional)
2-3: strips bacon, diced or 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
16-24: croutons (homemade, optional)

How to Make Cheesy Cream of Cauliflower Soup

Step-by-Step

1In a soup pot or dutch oven, saute the sliced shallots in the olive oil until translucent.
2Add the chicken broth and cauliflower and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft.
3Using an immersion blender, blend the hot broth and cauliflower until somewhat smooth. (If you do not have an immersion blender, allow the soup to cool and then blend or mash.)
4Add the milk and cheese and heat through, stirring fairly constantly, until the cheese melts. Do not continue to cook to avoid scorching.
5Taste and adjust the seasoning with the salt and pepper. If you have used purchased chicken broth you may need no salt at this point. If you prefer, use white pepper to avoid dark spots in the soup.
6Serve hot, topped with garnishes such as cilantro, bacon, and homemade croutons (recipe follows)
7To make the croutons:
Preheat the oven to 350F. While the broth and cauliflower cook, cut two or more slices of Italian bread into cubes. Put about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large bowl. Toss the bread cubes in the olive oil, moving quickly to distribute the oil among the cubes. Optionally, add a seasoning or dried herb mix and toss the cubes again. Distribute the cubes in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes. Turn off the oven, turn over the croutons for even cooking, and return to the still warm oven to continue toasting. The croutons will be warm and ready when the soup is ready.