Creamy Cauliflower Potato Soup


On cold days, my grandmother would often make soup. It might be gray, cold, and dreary outside, but inside the house it would be warm and bright, and the windows would fog up. Eventually, little rivulets of condensation would run down the insides of the windows. I loved how that looked, because it meant that we were warm and cozy and safe inside the house. And there would be soup.

If there was soup, there would almost certainly be homemade biscuits or cornbread. And as long as the oven was on, there might even be pie. Soup days were the best.

A cold front came in the other day, so I made soup. I started out to make potato soup, but remembered there was a head of cauliflower that really needed to be used. So it became cauliflower potato soup, with a couple of carrots added for color. 




This soup is thick and creamy and satisfying. That's one of the great things about using your blender- you get the creamy texture and taste without actually using any milk or cream or butter. I had planned to include some cream or butter in the recipe, but it just didn't need it. You could always add a little if you wanted a richer taste. 

Don't be concerned about the rather long list of ingredients- most of it is seasonings.


Creamy Cauliflower Potato Soup

Makes about 2 1/2 quarts

* 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
* 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into approx. 1 inch chunks
* 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into approx.   1 inch slices (basically, you just want all the veggies cut in pieces about the same size, so they'll cook evenly and get done at the same time)
* 2 cans (14.5 oz.) chicken broth (I used low sodium)
* 1 and 1/2 cans water (chicken broth can)
* 2 teaspoons jarred minced roasted garlic

* 1 bay leaf 
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
* 1/2 teaspoon sugar
* 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
* shredded parmesan cheese, for topping
* other toppings as desired, such as bacon, parsley, etc. 

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low heat until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes (you might want them "crisp tender" to eat, but in this case, we're going to put them in the blender, so we want them fork-tender).

Remove pot from heat. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Working in batches (half a blender container at a time), blend the soup just until smooth. Taste and correct for seasonings. At this point, you could add 3 or 4 tablespoons of cream, or a couple of tablespoons of butter or olive oil, if desired.

Print Recipe



Sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese


It makes enough to share :)



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22 comments:

  1. Your recipe looks very yummy Joy! I found it from Cozycakes Cottage's Facebook page! This cold winter weather makes me want to try this recipe very soon!!

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    1. Tabitah, thank you so very much! I'm so glad you stopped by. Love Cozycakes Cottage! :)

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  2. Hi, Joy! This soup sounds really good! I like to make soups, and they do seem just perfect for a cold day like today. I enjoy making up my own recipes as I go, or "tweaking" a recipe based on what I have on hand. Your deciding to add that cauliflower is something like I would do! I would like to give this soup a try. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

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    1. Hi, Linda! It had a good balance between the cauliflower and potato flavors, so it turned out to be a good experiment. ;) I'm really glad to hear from you! Stay warm! :)

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  3. I love your description of the windows on warm soup days with your grandmother! It's like I'm there! I love making soups in the winter. So satisfying and so simple. I like that you used a blender for creaminess instead of cream. We are all watching our figures these days (until Valentines day anyway!)

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    1. Thank you, Tanya! Thanks for your comment on what is a very special memory for me! :)
      I'm so very glad you came by! :)

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  4. Joy...this is an absolutely beautiful soup....so inviting! I eat soup all year round and I'm always happy to gather new recipes....and this one is a beauty! Pinning it to make it soon! : )

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    1. Anne, thank you so much- I love soup year round, too! Thank you for pinning, and I appreciate you taking the time to comment! :)

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  5. Ooh, that looks fabulous. Soup is so hard to photograph too, but you did a great job! I just wanna grab a spoon and start slurping!

    Thanks for linking up to What's Cooking Wednesday!

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    1. Hi, Karly- thanks so much for coming by, and thanks for the comment! It IS hard to photograph soup...and some casseroles are kind of hard, too. :)

      What's Cooking Wednesday is fun! :)

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  6. This is a beautiful soup and indeed warm and cozy! What wonderful memories to evoke of your grandmother, too. There's nothing like happy times spent in a grandma's kitchen!

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    1. Hi, Hannah! Yes, a grandma's kitchen is the best. :) Thank you so much for visiting! :)

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  7. You have a very nice blog here my friend, so nice to meet you! This soup looks delicious and I love it's family connections!

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

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    1. Nice meeting you, too! Thank you for dropping by! :)

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  8. perfect timing for this recipe. I planned to look up flavorful, comforting soup recipes tonight to make during these chilly weeks! What lovely memories too - my mom's homemade chicken noodle soup is made in my kitchen often and always reminds me of home. :)

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    1. Oh, there's nothing quite like homemade chicken noodle soup! <3 Thank you for the visit and the comment! :)

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  9. I've had potato soup, and I've had cauliflower soup, but I've never combined them. I have to try this! I'd love to have you come and link up at Taste and Tell Thursdays!

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    1. Deborah, thank you so much for stopping by, and for telling me about Taste and Tell Thursdays! Sounds great! :)

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  10. This soup looks great!! I was looking for a soup to use up our left over Cauliflower from last harvest! Thanks!

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    1. Lacy, thank you so much! I hope you enjoy it- I am so impressed that you grow your own cauliflower! :)

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  11. It's so cold here, I imagine this is a perfect soup!!

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    1. Aimee, what would we do without soup this time of year? :) Thank you so much for coming by!

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