Cheddar Cauliflower and Bacon Soup

Is it soup weather where you are?  We've been dealing with arctic temperatures all week so I'd say it's definitely soup weather here.  This one's a winner - it's hearty, cheesy deliciousness can be made in less than an hour from start to finish.  Go make this amazing soup!! 

Start by chopping carrots, celery, and cauliflower.

And you’ll need some chicken stock. I always have a supply of homemade chicken stock in my freezer, but you can certainly use low-sodium stock from the store (low sodium so you can taste and adjust - let your inner chef come out).

Place the chopped veggies and chicken stock in a 6-quart stockpot and bring to a boil.

When the chicken stock boils, reduce the heat to simmer and cook for about 15 minutes or until the veggies are tender, but not mushy.

Done.

Now it’s time to make a cheesy bechamel sauce with cheddar cheese, milk, butter, flour, kosher salt, and pepper.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.

Add the flour, salt, and pepper….

Whisk for at two full minutes - keep the mixture moving the whole time to keep it from burning. Don’t be tempted to skip cooking for a full two minutes or the flour will taste uncooked in the finished soup.

Whisk in the milk - cold right out of the fridge is just fine.

Continue whisking constantly until the mixture bubbles and thickens.

The flour won’t reach its full thickening potential until the liquid boils so keep whisking until you see bubbles. Shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes or so.

Turn off the heat and add the cheese.

The cheese will melt quickly. Mmmmm.

Pour the cheese mixture over the cauliflower mixture.

Don’t miss any of that cheesy goodness!

Stir in a teaspoon of Sriracha or other hot sauce. It won’t add much heat to the soup, but it will add wonderful depth of flavor. If you like a lot of heat, feel free to add more. Taste and adjust salt and pepper before serving.

Serve with crumbled bacon - enjoy!

Cheddar Cauliflower and Bacon Soup

makes 4-6 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower, broken into small florets

• 1/2 cup minced carrot

• 1/2 cup minced celery

• 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth (or chicken)

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 2 cups milk

• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• 1 teaspoon Sriracha (or other hot sauce), optional

• Garnish: 8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

Directions

1. In a 6-quart stockpot over medium-high heat, combine cauliflower, carrots, celery, and chicken stock.

2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cover; cook for 15-30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

3. In the meantime, melt butter in a large, heavy-bottom saucepan over medium-high.

4. Add flour, salt, and pepper; whisk for 2 minutes.

5. Add milk; whisk constantly until mixture bubbles and thickens.

6. Remove from heat and add shredded cheese; whisk until melted.

7. Pour cheese mixture over the cauliflower mixture.

8. Stir in Sriracha; serve with crumbled bacon.

Spicy Chicken and Hominy Stew

I had the pleasure of tasting this stew at a church dinner and immediately sought out the recipe.  If you like Tex-Mex flavors, you're really going to like it.  The original recipe called for sauteed chicken breasts, but I've adapted it slightly to take advantage of precooked rotisserie chicken.  I had no idea hominy was so good - I'm dreaming of the next time I make this wonderful stew.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• 3-quart soup pot https://amzn.to/2FfWr4r

• the best soup ladle https://amzn.to/2MFJU0g

• canned hominy https://amzn.to/32CTn13

• salsa verde https://amzn.to/3o3Yoav

• sliced olives https://amzn.to/32DzU0f

• the sonoma diet cookbook https://amzn.to/2F0IwPd

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Spicy Chicken and Hominy Stew

makes 8 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped

• 6 cloves garlic, minced

• 8 cups chicken broth (try my homemade)

• 2 15-ounce cans hominy, rinsed and drained

• 1 cup sliced black olives

• 1 cup jarred green salsa or green enchilada sauce

• 1 red bell pepper, minced

• 3-4 cups chopped rotisserie chicken

• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

• 1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

• 1/2 avocado, chopped (optional)

• 2 tablespoons shredded cotija or mozzarella cheese (optional)

Directions

1. In a 6-quart casserole pan, saute onions in olive oil until translucent.

2. Add minced garlic and stir constantly for 30-60 seconds or until fragrant.

3. Add chicken broth, hominy, olives, red bell pepper, and chicken.

4. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Stir in the cilantro and serve. Add optional avocado and cheese to individual bowls if desired. Makes 6 servings.

Note

• Save that rotisserie chicken carcass to make homemade chicken stock!! 

adapted from The Sonoma Diet Cookbook