Creamy Cauliflower Cheddar Soup
When I was growing up in the 50s and 60s, dentistry was fairly primitive compared to today’s standards. As a result of the “drill and fill” approach, my husband and I have mouths full of crowns; and most remaining teeth have nothing but a thin shell of enamel left covering large metal fillings. About now, I imagine you’re wondering, “Where is she going with this?”
I had to have a fractured molar extracted a few days ago. 
That led me to search for some new soup recipes to get through the “no chewing” days ahead, and my search led me to this delicious, creamy cauliflower soup. What drew me to it is that the creaminess of the soup comes from puréeing it after all the vegetables have cooked rather than by adding cream. So, if you’re lactose intolerant as I am or merely wanting to cut down on added fat, this is a great soup choice.
I was positive I would like this soup, so I decided to double it—and I’m sure glad I did. It was exactly what I had anticipated—savory and deliciously creamy. Roger had a big bowl of it when I first made it, and then I told him the rest was mine! The soup was exactly what I needed to offset my dental woes.
If you can handle another dental story, about 15 years ago, I had the unhappy experience of losing another tooth due to a fracture. I was very distressed about it at the time; and, you know how the saying goes—“If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” Well, my daughter Sara was about 6 or 7 at the time and tried to comfort me. In those days, whenever any of my kids were sick, I would tell them that I wish it were me rather than them being sick. So, Sara said to me, “Mommy, I wish it were me that lost the tooth because I can always grow another one and you can’t.” Her words made me laugh at the time, and I am smiling now thinking of her effort to cheer me up.
You don’t need to have a dental issue to enjoy this soup. Make some soon—it’s yummy!
One year ago: Pumpkin Bars, Hot Spiced Apple-Raspberry Cider
Creamy Cauliflower Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbl. unsalted butter
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- Kosher or sea salt
- 1 medium potato, peeled and diced into 1/4-inch cubes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth (I’m sure chicken broth would be great as well.)
- 1/2 head cauliflower, chopped into small florets
- 2/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish
- 1 1/2 to 2 tsp. Dijon mustard (I doubled the soup and used 3 tsp.)
- Croutons for garnishing, optional (soup is gluten free without croutons)
Direction
Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt, then mix in the potato, garlic and vegetable broth. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, keep covered, and let cook for about 8 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add the cauliflower and cook about 5-6 minutes more, until the cauliflower is tender. Stir in the cheese and mustard
Purée with an immersion blender (or a food processor, vented to allow the steam to escape). Mix in additional water or broth if the soup is too thick. Season with additional salt to taste.
Serve warm topped with additional shredded cheese and croutons.
Fran’s Notes
I sprinkled some Romano cheese in my soup and thought it was wonderful.
Source: A recipe from Annie’s Eats