Cauliflower Soup

I made this for dinner tonight after I found organic cauliflower for $1.00 at Stanley's, my local produce market. Chris declared this to be one of the finest soups I have ever made (and I usually make soup once a week!). I served this along with a salad of spinach, tomatoes, pine nuts, shaved parmesan and a splash of balsamic and olive oil.

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Directions

Remove the leaves and thick core from the cauliflower, coarsely chop, and reserve. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the cauliflower is very soft and falling apart, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and, using a hand held immersion blender, puree the soup, or puree in small batches in a blender* and return it to the pot. Add the Parmesan and stir until smooth. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Recipe from FoodNetwork.com