With a hint of curry, chunks of cauliflower, and a generous helping of cheddar cheese, this soup makes a great warm up on a blustery day. It's a great way to use up a stray cauliflower in the fridge, and I love it with some crusty bread. It doesn't freeze all that well because of the milk but if you really want to freeze it, just make the recipe, omit the milk, and then add the milk when you thaw the soup before re-heating it gently.
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1 1/2 cups diced potatoes
4 cups coarsely chopped cauliflower
4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp curry powder
1 cup milk
2 cups aged cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup frozen peas
1 tsp dill
1/2 tsp pepper
Melt butter in a stock pot and saute the onions and celery until golden. Add potatoes, cauliflower, dry mustard, curry, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are softened, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat. With a slotted spoon, remove approximately half of the vegetables to a bowl and set aside. At this point if any pieces are large I cut them to bite-sized.
With a long handled blender or a regular blender, process the soup remaining in the stockpot until smooth. Return the vegetables to the pot and allow the soup to cool for about 10 minutes. Add the frozen peas, dill, and pepper, and then the milk and cheese, gently heating the soup over low heat. for approximately 10-15 minutes. Do not let it boil.
This soup keeps very well in the fridge for a few days, but I do not recommend freezing it.
Makes about 4 servings
