light & creamy potato soup.

September 11, 2013 § Leave a comment

I had been craving a potato soup, but wasn’t in the mood for anything too heavy. I came across this recipe from Cooking Light magazine, which has a secret not-so-secret ingredient–roasted cauliflower! This soup is really easy to put together after some quick slicing and dicing of your veggies.

What you need:

olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon thyme
2 pounds Russet Potatoes, peeled and diced
6 C low sodium chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 head of cauliflower, cut in florets (remove stalk)
1 and 1/2 C 2% or whole milk (just don’t use skim)
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
1 C sharp cheddar cheese
4-5 slices of bacon (cooked till crispy then crumbled)

What to do:

First up: You need to roast your cauliflower.

Preheat your oven to 450–you want it HOT.

Place your cauliflower florets on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil, then lightly salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, until the florets are browning. Then, remove from the oven and let the tray cool on your counter.

Step 2: While your cauliflower is roasting, cut up your bacon. Remember, nice and crispy!

Finally, in a large pot or a Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute your onion, garlic, and thyme until onions begin to soften. Then, add your potatoes, your bay leaf, and your chicken stock. Let it come to a nice boil, then reduce the heat. At this point, add your roasted cauliflower to the pot, and let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes. Then, remove the pot from heat.

Now, it’s time to use my favorite appliance–the immersion blender. Very carefully puree the soup mixture until smooth. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, you could puree the mixture in batches in an upright blender.)

Before serving, season the soup with black pepper and 1/2 cup of sour cream. Serve with a selection of garnishes–the bacon crumbles, chopped green onions, and sharp cheddar cheese.

This soup is an excellent make-ahead meal and keeps great in the fridge, along with the garnishes. Perfect for busy week nights.

Enjoy!

Tagged: Cauliflower, Cooking Light, Soup

The Cheesy Kitchen