Creamy Cauliflower Soup

The first frosty blast of fall air scattering  leaves about the yard always brings out my large kettle and before too long a pot of soup is simmering on the stove. Often times it is made from whatever I have on hand, but consistently heavy on the vegetables.  Snowy white heads of cauliflower can usually be found in my refrigerator, and often when the price is good cauliflower is in abundance as they last a long time and are versatile. Creamy Cauliflower Soup is one of our favorite soups.  I have tried making this soup with frozen cauliflower and it never tastes as good.  As with most soups it always tastes better the next day! Though creamy, not a drop of fat-filled cream is is the soup.  The trick is blending some of the cooked cauliflower to a creamy consistency. Creamy Cauliflower Soup is low in carbohydrates, low in salt, and very low in fat.  Try it! You may be pleasantly surprised at the mild cauliflower flavor in this healthy soup!

Cut a raw, large, caulifower into 2-inch chunks, discarding leaves, and thick stem.  You need 6 cups of raw cauliflower or about a 2 lb head of cauliflower.

Heat 10 cups of water to boiling.  Using half, or even part, fat-free vegetable or chicken stock is great, but make sure it is low sodium.  Add cauliflower and continue to boil until caulflower is cooked but still a bit firm, about 8 – 10 minutes.  Remove three cups of the cauliflower to seperate dish and set aside.  Remove 2 cups of the cooking liquid and set aside.  Using your hand mixing wand blend remaining cauliflower in the cooking liquid right in the cooking pot.  Reduce heat to medium-low.

Cut reserved cauliflower into bite size pieces and add back into soup.

Add the following to pot:

   1 cup sliced carrots

   1/2 cup diced celery

   1/2 cup frozen or fresh peas

   1/4 cup minced onion

   1 cup soy creamer or fat-free half and half

   1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

   1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

   1 teaspoon dried basil

   1 teaspoon dried rosemary

   1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

   1 teaspoon celery seed

   1 teaspoon dill weed

   1/2 teaspoon salt

   1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Cook an additional 20 minutes, uncovered and stirring frequently.  If soup is too thin, blend 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid and 2 teaspoon corn starch to a smooth paste in a small bowl.  Blend into the soup, stirring constantly but gently until soup thickens.  Use fresh chopped chives or green onions as a garnish.  If you soup to thicker than you like the next day after refrigerating it, stir in the remainder of the reserved cooking liquid a bit at a time while reheating the soup.

The bread in photo, ala my husband, is Twisted Cheddar.  Doulbe yum!