Cauliflower Leek & Cheddar Soup
September 24, 2021
1 hr
easy
serves 4
We all have most likely heard of potato leek soup…but have you heard of CAULIFLOWER leek and CHEDDAR soup?!?!?! If you have, then…have you ever MADE IT YOURSELF?!?! Well, even if you have, you need to try my recipe because it’s just that good.
Not going to lie, I was surprised when I did a poll on what recipes you guys wanted to kick off Fall (even though it was still 90 degrees outside…) and the majority of you wanted soup. Soup was the last thing I wanted during the hot September (I call it leftover August) transition period, but alas, I made some hot delicious soup. And guys,… you were right. Soup was the move.
Here’s the thing: if you don’t like onion/garlic/leek things, you won’t like this soup! It’s an allium party with some cauliflower.
Something else I want to note is that this soup can be *thick.* The thickness depends on how much cauliflower you get in your head of cauliflower. If you feel like you have a small head of cauliflower, only use 4 cups of stock. If you have a larger one, have 5 cups prepared. Most boxes of stock come with 4 cups, so to avoid buying 2 and leaving one opened but still full, I recommend using a chicken bouillon and dissolving it into 5 cups of water.
Ingredients
Adjust Servings
| 1 head of garlic | |
| 1 head of cauliflower | |
| Olive oil | |
| Kosher salt, to taste | |
| Black pepper, to taste | |
| 2 leeks, thoroughly washed and sliced into half moons | |
| 1/4cup unsalted butter | |
| 1 medium white onion, sliced | |
| 5cups chicken stock, plus more if needed for consistency (see notes) | |
| 1cup shredded sharp white cheddar (plus 2 tbsp for topping) | |
| Juice of 1/2 lemon | |
| Chopped parsley, for topping | |
| Chopped scallions, for topping |
Equipment
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Slice the head of garlic in half, crosswise. Trim the leaves off of the head of cauliflower and chop it into even sized florets.
Toss the cauliflower florets in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place them evenly onto a sheet pan with half of the garlic. Feel free to roast the other half or reserve it for another recipe (you only need half for this recipe.)
Roast the caulfilower and garlic for about 25 minutes, until lightly golden brown and tender. The garlic should be golden brown and softened.
Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the butter. Once the butter melts, adjust the heat to medium high and add the leeks. Season with a generous pinch of kosher salt. Let them cook and sweat for 2-3 minutes, until bright green, slightly caramelized and softened. Add the onion and another pinch of kosher salt. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Remove the cauliflower and garlic from the oven. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the bulb and into the pot. Add the cauliflower, reserving 5-7 small florets for topping.
Pour the chicken stock and lemon juice into the pot. Taste the stock and add another pinch of kosher salt, if necesary for your taste. Place the lid on the pot and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat. Transfer the soup to a blender (if it won't all fit in the blender, do this in two batches.) Blend until smooth. Add the cheddar to the soup and then blend again for about 40 seconds, until creamy.
Pour the soup into bowls and top with a swirl of olive oil, parsley, scallions, reserved cauliflower, fresh cracked black pepper and a sprinkle of shredded white cheddar. Enjoy!
Notes
Most boxes of chicken stock come with 4 cups. To avoid buying 2 boxes of chicken stock and not finishing the second one, I prefer to dissolve chicken bouillon into 5 cups of water! You can use vegetable bouillon or chicken.
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8 Comments
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Skyler BouchardI am so happy to hear that!! Thank you for leaving a review!
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Aliya Clementine Jiwa
What a recipe! Such a great soup! I followed the recipe to a T, and it came out perfect.
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Skyler Bouchard
Thank you so much! I’m thrilled to hear you loved it – thanks for leaving a review!!!
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Mary Anne Hatch
Absolutely delicious! Sometimes cauliflower soup falls flat for me but not this one! The best I’ve ever had.
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Amy
Super yummy. Followed recipe as directed. Thank you!
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Rebecca M
This recipe is phenomenal and so simple. Love it!!
This was one of the best soups I’ve ever had! My family and I loved the flavor and how easy it came together