Monday, January 11, 2010

Cheddar Cauliflower Soup


I'm starting to re-think this idea of me not liking soup. I'm starting to think that I just haven't ever had good soup before, because here is another soup that I think is delicious! It doesn't have a strong cheddar flavor in the first place so I urge you buy the extra sharp cheddar and it will be worth it!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large leeks, white and green parts only, thinly sliced and rinsed

4 cups chopped cauliflower florets (from 1 medium head)
2 1/2 cups low-fat milk, divided
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
(i use cornstarch)
1 1/2 cups extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preparation

  1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring, until very soft, about 5 minutes. Add cauliflower, 2 cups milk, water, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is soft, about 8 minutes.

  2. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup milk and flour in a small bowl. When the cauliflower is soft, remove the bay leaf and stir in the milk mixture. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the soup has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Stir in cheese and lemon juice.

Nutrition

Per serving: 186 calories; 11 g fat (5 g sat, 3 g mono); 27 mg cholesterol; 10 g protein; 2 g fiber; 488 mg sodium; 198 mg potassium.


p.s. I if you've used leeks you'll know that most recipes call for using the light green and white parts only. If you've ever bought leeks and thought "what a rip off! 4.99 per lb. and I'm only going to use a little portion of it!", I feel your pain. However, I have discovered lately that my local Trader Joe's marker sells trimmed leeks for a fraction of the price of leeks in the store. Yay!!! Now go make this soup :)

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