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.