Dijon Mustard Croutons

Where have these been all my life? Given my fondness for mustard, I'm not sure how I've been eating multiple times a day for this many years, and not encountered dijon croutons. These were paired with Heidi Swanson's cauliflower soup from my last post, and while they were a great combination, I anticipate these will have many uses for me and thought they deserved their own dedicated post.

Dijon Mustard Croutons

6 ounces whole wheat bread, torn into small chunks, less than 1-inch

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon fine grain salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 with a rack in the middle of the oven.

2. Put the torn bread in a large bowl.  In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Whisk the olive oil, salt and mustard into the butter. 

3, Pour the mixture over the bread. Toss well, then turn the bread onto a baking sheet.

4. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the croutons are golden and crunchy. Flip them once or twice with a spatula along the way. 

Cauliflower Cheddar Soup

In my last post, I talked about re-kindling a relationship with my cookbook collection. In an effort to further that goal, I pulled out another favorite, Super Natural Every Day. I was a long time follower of Heidi Swanson's blog, 101 Cookbooks when she published this one. I hadn't made this recipe before. For some reason, I've never enjoyed broccoli cheddar soup all that much, and tend to not choose it when I'm eating out.  Cauliflower was in season a few weeks ago, and I picked up an orange colored head from my local farm, Russo's, and needed something to do with it so I chose this recipe.

I liked the combination of cauliflower with cheddar much better.  I made it again last night for some friends who came over to watch Chernobyl with me. They enjoyed the soup as well, and I think it's a keeper. Again, it's only a few ingredients, but flavorful and comforting on a cold night. Last night I served it with some sourdough baguette and roasted green beans on the side. (Yes, I know, not an obvious combination, but I wanted something green on the side and didn't feel like a salad. It seemed to work for everyone. I only started roasting green beans fairly recently. I'm finding them to be an easy, tasty side dish.)

I think it's good to use a sharp cheddar for this. I have an Irish cheddar in my fridge, but think that sort of nutty cheddar works better as a snacking cheese and would get lost in this soup. I like Cabot's Seriously Sharp.

Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
Sea salt
1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 1/2 cups veggie broth
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into small florets
2/3 cup freshly grated sharp Cheddar, more for dressing soup
2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1.  Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. When it melts, add the shallots and onion along with a big pinch of salt. Sauté until the onion is soft, a few minutes.
2.  Stir in the potato, cover and cook for about 4 minutes, long enough to soften. Be careful not to burn the onion.
3. Uncover, stir in the garlic, and then add the broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the potatoes are soft.
4. Add in the cauliflower. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes until the cauliflower is tender throughout.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and puree the soup with an immersion blender. Stir in the cheddar and mustard. Add more broth or water if you want the consistency thinner.  Add salt to taste.
6. Serve with toppings such as olive oil, extra shredded cheddar and/or toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds.