We had a cold front this week. Not just in Louisiana, but across the country. Some places even saw snow. A cool breeze just made me want to make some soup, and this recipe crossed my mind more than once.
1 large cauliflower (about 2 lbs.), divided into florets
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. sea or kosher salt
2 tsp. ground peppercorn
2 cups heavy cream or milk
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
crispy bacon, crumbled
chopped green onion
Put the cauliflower florets on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt and peppercorn over the florets. Bake at 350 until lightly browned.
Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven, then cook the yellow onion until tender.
Add the garlic and cook until the onion is browning.
Add the dairy (milk or heavy cream depending on how thick you want the soup to be - I tend to use heavy cream), then the broth, and then add the cauliflower. Let it simmer for 30-40 minutes (until the cauliflower is very tender).
Using an immersion blender, blend the ingredients together until it reaches your desired texture.
Add the cheese and stir until melted it. Then add the bacon and mix.
Finally, add the green onion and serve.