Tonight I made a new recipe for Potato, Cauliflower, and Cheese Soup. It was not difficult to make, and didn’t take too long, either. Since I was home for MLK Day, I was able to take my time, but it only took about 45 minutes total. The blend of flavors was excellent! I especially enjoyed the blue cheese!
Here’s how to make it:
Butter, Onions, and Garlic
Melt about 1 tbs of butter. Then add onions and garlic. Cook until the onions are translucent. This only takes about 5 min. The aroma will soon fill your kitchen!
Milk, Potatoes, Cauliflower, & Spices
Then add 1 lb diced potatoes, 1 lb cauliflower, 4 cups milk, 1 cup vegetable broth. I also added a few dashes of salt and some red pepper. Allow this mixture to come to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Maple View Farm Milk (Skim)
The original recipe called for 5 cups whole milk, but given my lactose issues, I decided to substitute 4 cups skim milk and 1 cup vegetable broth. I prefer to use milk that I can trace back to the source, therefore we typically buy Maple View Farm milk (based out of Hillsboro, NC). I like that they use glass bottles, which you can (and should) return to the store where you purchased the milk. When you buy the milk, you pay a “bottle deposit,” and the money is refunded when you turn in the empty bottle. Although you may go directly to the farm to buy the milk, I usually end up buying it from Harris Teeter or Whole Foods.
After Blending
After the potatoes have softened, use a blender or a food processor to liquify the soup. I used a blender, and I needed to do several batches. I took this opportunity to taste the soup — mmmm. It needed a little bit more red pepper (IMO), so I added another dash. After blending the soup, I warmed it up again and added about 1/3 a cup of blue cheese (from WI) and 1 1/2 cups of cheddar (from NY). I wish I had found cheese made closer to home. After the cheese melts, the soup is finished!
Agnes' Nap
Since I still had some time before Chris came home, I decided to make like Agnes and take a power nap while the soup stayed warm on the stove.
Final Product
When Chris came home, we enjoyed the soup with a side of biscuits and some white wine. He and I both enjoyed it! As you can see from the picture, Agnes was quite interested as well.
Although it does take some time, I would definitely make this soup again. It was a tasty, wholesome dinner, that I enjoyed making this afternoon. Another great benefit — we have 3.5 more servings for lunches this week.
Soups are an excellent way to warm your soul, especially in the chill of winter. What’s your favorite soup?
