Cauliflower Chowder

I picked up a cauliflower earlier this week with a particular recipe in mind, but ended up not making it, and so today I found myself with a cauliflower that I needed to use post haste.  I spent quite a while perusing Pinterest looking for something interesting to make with it to no avail.



I have made cauliflower cheese soup in the past and it was pretty tasty.   I wanted to make a soup, but I didn't want to make the same old same old.



And then I started to think about how people who are low carbing interchange potatoes and cauliflower a lot with each other, although . . . to be perfectly honest I don't see where the similarities are as both taste completely different from each other.  But to each their own . . .



And that's when I had the brilliant idea to make a cauliflower chowder!  Boy oh boy, talk about being inspired!  This ended up being the most delicious pot of soup I have ever made!  I kid you not!  Adding some Black Pepper Boursin Cheese was genius, pure genius.  It worked beautifully!



I wish that I had taste and smell options on this blog because you would be literally blown away by this soup.  It's rich, and so . . . SO . . . SOOOOO . . . delicious!!  I can't say that enough.  I think I have found a new favourite.  It's not that easy to make soup look interesting, but . . . meh, I tried.



Todd had his with bread, which is so British.  I had mine with crackers, which is so North American.  OF course I crumbled my crackers over top of my soup, which my ex boss would have said was "common."   But then again . . . I am a simple girl.  No pretence here.

*Cauliflower Chowder*

Serves 6

Printable Recipe

This is a hearty supper soup that goes down a real treat.  Filled with lovely chunks of celery, carrot, cauliflower and potato, lightly flavoured with bacon and Pepper Boursin, this pleases on many levels.  It's rich and filling and quite, quite pleasing.

6 tablespoons butter, divided

4 rashers streaky bacon, chopped
½ whole onion, finely diced
1 whole carrot finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced

1 medium potato, peeled and diced
1 whole cauliflower Head, chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh Or dried parsley (chopped)
2 litres good quality chicken stock (about 10 cups)
35g of plain flour (rounded 1/3 cup)

450ml milk (2 cups)
 225ml single cream (1 cup)

salt and black pepper to taste

75g of Black Pepper Boursin cheese (generous 1/4 cup)

Melt 2 TBS of the butter in a large soup pot.   Add the bacon and cook until it begins to brown.  Stir in the onions.  Cook for a few minutes before it begins to soften.  Add the carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes longer.   Add the potato, cauliflower and parsley.  Stir to coat with the drippings and then add the chicken stock.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer until the vegetables are all tender. 

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan.  Whisk in the flour.  Cook for several minutes to cook out the flour flavour.   Whisk in the milk slowly, whisking constantly.   Cook and stir until the mixture thickens.   Whisk in the cream and then stir the whole mixture into the cooked vegetable mixture.  Allow to simmer for about 15 minutes to meld flavours.   Stir in the Boursin cheese until it is melted.   Check seasoning and adjust as needed with salt and pepper.  Ladle the hot soup into heated bowls and serve with bread or crackers as you wish.