Serves 8
Ideal for dinner after a long afternoon in the cold, seasonal vegetables and fresh herbs are blended into a soothing, creamy soup that takes the chilly edge off and really hits the spot.
3 ounces butter
1 cup rough chopped onion
1 teaspoon rough chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped celery
1.5 cups peeled, rough chopped baking potatoes (not red skin)
2 quarts chicken stock 2 bay leaves (remove before blending)
A pinch of each of the following dried herbs and spices: ground thyme, marjoram, and tarragon
1 cup whole milk ( or 2 %)
1 medium head of cauliflower (roughly 1 pound)
1 cup (1/4-inch) diced Yukon gold potatoes, peeled or not
1/4 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tablespoon chopped fresh chervil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
Salt and pepper to taste
(if you have left over bacon or sausage, add it for garnish)
Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, celery,and baking potatoes and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Do not brown. Add stock , bay leaves, and dried herbs and spices and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until soup reduces by one-third its volume.
Remove the florets from the cauliflower and set aside. Remove the bay leaves and blend the soup smooth with a hand-held blender. Strain the soup through a medium strainer and return blended soup to the pot and add the milk, Yukon potatoes and cauliflower florets.
Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat to medium and simmer the soup until the potatoes are cooked but still holding their shape, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Add the fresh chopped herbs to the soup just before serving, to maximize the bright color and fresh flavor of the herbs.
Top with bacon or sausage crumbs.
