Here's my fav:

ROASTED CAULI SOUP
1 large head cauliflower (3 lbs.), cut into flowerets (10 cups)
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, halved
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 cans low-sodium chicken broth
1 c. water
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme (or equivalent dried)
1 c. gourmet fat-free half & half or cream
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In large roasting pan, toss cauliflower, onion slices and garlic with olive oil.

Roast the vegetables in the pan for 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes.

In soup pot, combine roasted cauliflower mixture, chicken broth, water, bay leaf and thyme. Cover, bring to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 20 minutes.

Discard bay leaf. In blender or food processor, puree soup in batches. Return soup to saucepan. Stir in fat-free half & half, salt and pepper; gently heat.

It is posted over on the last/current WFD thread, by Chase.

I made one today for lunch following her lead, just winged it.

I chopped up one head of cauliflower, 2 small russet potatoes, sauteed a shallot and 1/2 an onion, and tossed in the heel end of some aged gouda. One box of chicken stock and once it was all soft, I pureed with a stick blender. Add some cream or 1/2 & 1/2 and you are done.

And just for kicks, I then took one half and added some chopped fresh spinach to that pot, a grind or two of nutmeg, simmer another 5 minutes and soup for later this week is also done.

It is soup weather here for sure. All the trees are covered with a thin layer of ice and the roads are slick.

Yesterday I made the "Clean out the Cheese Drawer" recipe that Chase posted. I thought it was really good too. I used some very vintage (can I admit to 2003?) white cheddar with horseradish that I had vacuum sealed. It was very sharp when I bought it and I sealed it until I was inspired by a recipe. It was perfect - tasted as though it had just been purchased although I would not have hesitated one second to toss it if it had smelled or looked off. I also used a little Maytag Blue, a little Brie and maybe two ounces of cream cheese, all purchased within the last week. My head of cauliflower was small and we had a generous amount of soup for lunch yesterday - there is just one small serving for a weekday lunch for me left.

I'll definitely make it again with a variety of cheese.

Lee

Thanks! If it's in a WFD thread I would have never found it -- I'm making this for dinner tonight.

Yes it was me that posted the cauliflower soup but to say it was a recipe would be a streach...what made this one special was what lee describes as the "clean out the cheese drawer"!

Phase three of the saga.

Phase one ; I made the cheese spread from all the bits and bobs of cheese in the fridge, add some mayo, sour cream, cream cheese, tabasco, chopped shallots....I think. Made a lovely cheese spread.

Phase two ; used the "bits and bobs" cheese spread as an addition to a traditional cream of cauliflower soup...yum!

Phase three; made a mac and cheese yesterday. It was very good but leftovers for today were dry, you know how mac and cheese gets...so I added the leftover cauliflower soup to it.....it was better than good, it was delicious!

So there you go a cheese spread never to be repeated , added to a cauliflower soup never to be repeated, added to a mac and cheese casserole, never to be repeated! LOL

I made Cauliflower soup yesterday, to have with Teriyaki tuna steaks, and I made it sort of Indian style. I boiled the cauliflower with potatoes and onion, and then strained the liquid (reserving it) after the cauliflower was done. I thickened the liquid with potato starch (in a slurry) and added garam masala, mild curry powder, Thai curry paste, cumin, vegetable soup base, and a bit ginger paste to season it. After it was thickened, I added the cauliflower and potatoes back in. Unfortunately, I made a huge quantity (or so it seems), and I still have Vichyssoise left over than I had made two days before. I can't do the cream of cauliflower soup, due to problems with dairy :(.

Lars

My daughter doesn't like soup or cauliflower, but she loves this soup.

Curried potato and cauliflower soup

3 cups cauliflower pieces
1 large red potato, quartered
Salt

1 Tbsp. butter
1 small onion, diced

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. curry powder

3/4 cup half and half or milk

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

Freshly ground white pepper

Combine cauliflower and potato in medium pan with salted water to cover. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Remove 1 cup cauliflower and set aside. Cook remaining cauliflower and potato until very tender. Drain. Peel potato. Set vegetables aside.

Melt butter in same pan. Add onion and cook over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add ginger and curry powder and cook 30 seconds.

Place well-cooked cauliflower, potato, onions with any liquid from pan and half and half in blender container. Puree. If mixture is too thick, add some chicken broth. Return mixture to pan. Add reserved 1 cup cauliflower. Add remaining chicken broth and heat through over low heat. Do not boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 2 generous servings.

Note: For summer dining, chill the soup and serve with dollops of sour cream or plain yogurt.

Chase, will you please post your guidelines for the clean out the cheese drawer dip? It sounds delicious and like a good thing to have for last minute everythings.

Thanks
-Robin

Robin, I started making this years ago to use up the leftover pieces of cheese that I end up with or cheese that was getting to old. It's also a great way to use up a bit of sour cream and the bottoms of the bottles of creamy salad dressings.

Basically I grate all the cheeses. The only cheese I try not to use too much of is bleu cheese, it gives the spread great flavour but it can take over if you use too much. I probably use about 1/2 cheddar to all the other cheeses but that's not a rule.

I add all the grated cheeses, along with some chopped shalotts, to cream cheese and add enough mayo to make a nice spreadable consistency. If the taste is too bland I often add a few dashes of tabasco.

Sometimes I add sour cream if I have a bit I'm trying to get tid of. Sometimes I use the bottom of any cream based bottled salad dressings instead of, or along with, mayo. Depends on how much I have.

The key is to taste and adjust as you go along.

I've never made it the same way twice and never made a bad one!

From now on I'm also going to use it in soups and with pasta etc.....both dishes were so good.

Chase, thank you so much. The perfect part of that recipe is the cheese I always have the most of is cheddar.

-Robin