Name: Cream of Cauliflower Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 large shallots, diced; 3 leeks, trimmed and cleaned (it is very important you rinse the multiple layers; leeks are fabulous but dirty); chopped; 1 large head cauliflower, cored and chopped in bite sized pieces (reserve several small roasted pieces for soup garnish); 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and chopped; 2 Tablespoons of fresh chopped rosemary; 8 cups organic vegetable broth; 1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast; 1 Tablespoon Garlic powder; 1 Tablespoon Onion powder; 1/2 cup chives (garnish); Smoked paprika (garnish)

Cream of cauliflower soup is a creamy, decadent, rich soup. I consider it comfort food because of its smooth and delicate texture. In fact, once you take your first bite of this savory soup recipe, you’ll think you are eating a fattening creamy soup, when in fact, it is made of all vegetables. Although most creamy soups contain nuts or plant-milk, this creamy cauliflower soup is nut-free, soy-free, and plant-milk free. Instead, potatoes provide the creaminess.

Cauliflower is so versatile; it can be used for pizza crust, cauliflower steaks, buffalo cauliflower bites, General Tso Cauliflower and the list goes on. As a kid, I remember cauliflower having little to no flavor, and my only recollection of its use was on a vegetable tray that I immediately drowned in a dip to disguise its flavor or lack thereof. Who knew cauliflower could be elegant, and delectable?

THE BENEFITS OF INCLUDING CAULIFLOWER IN YOUR DIET

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database, one cup of chopped raw cauliflower, cut into half-inch pieces, and weighing around 107 grams, contains:

27 calories
2 grams (g) of protein
0.3 grams of fat
5 g of carbohydrate, including 2.1 g of fiber and 2 g of sugar
24 milligrams (mg) of calcium
16 mg of magnesium
47 mg of phosphorus
320 mg of potassium
51.6 mg of vitamin C
16.6 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin K
0.197 mcg of vitamin B6
61 mcg of folate

One cup of raw cauliflower will provide:

77 percent of daily vitamin C needs
20 percent of daily vitamin K needs
10 percent or more of daily needs for vitamin B 6 and folate

It also contains smaller amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and manganese.

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE NEEDED FOR CREAM OF CAULIFLOWER SOUP?

Shallots
Leeks
Cauliflower
Garlic
Potatoes
Rosemary
Organic vegetable broth
Nutritional Yeast
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Rosemary
Chives
Smoked paprika

CHOPPING THE INGREDIENTS FOR CREAM OF CAULIFLOWER SOUP

One of my favorite kitchen tools, my Pro Vegetable Chopper, saves me a ton of time in the kitchen. As a result, chopping vegetables for a variety of recipes takes minutes instead of hours. For creamy cauliflower soup, for instance, I used the larger chopping blade to chop my potatoes. Then, I used the small blade to chop the shallots.

TIPS FOR COOKING WITH LEEKS…THE SECRET INGREDIENT

When cooking with leeks, it is important to remember that leeks generally require a lot of cleaning. Even though they may appear clean on the outside, dirt hides in the multiple layers of each leek. For that reason, I suggest chopping leeks and then transferring them to a colander and rinsing them under water to remove excess debris.

HOW TO MAKE CREAM OF CAULIFLOWER SOUP

First, saute the garlic, shallots, and leeks together in a large soup pan until translucent. Then add the chopped potatoes, nutritional yeast, and vegetable broth. Next, bring the mixture to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer for 30 minutes. In the meantime, roast the cauliflower in the oven. While the cauliflower roasts and the potatoes soften with the leeks and shallots, chop the chives to use as garnish.

Be sure, though to separate some of the roasted cauliflower (I picked small pieces) to use as a garnish when serving the cauliflower soup before you begin to blend the soup. Now, allow both the cauliflower and the potato mixture to cool, so you can safely blend the creamy cauliflower soup in small batches.

Cauliflower has become one of my favorite vegetables, as it clearly transforms into so many different dishes with versatile flavors; it absorbs herbs and seasoning, and when used creatively, is the best fat-free food around. If you love savory soups, and you want to feel like you are cheating with every savory bite, try this cream of cauliflower soup.

DO YOU LOVE CAULIFLOWER? HERE ARE SOME GREAT RECIPES

6 servings