Roasted Cauliflower and Aged Cheddar Soup

Some of y'all asked for the recipe to the soup I made for Christmas Eve and here it is. I went the slow cooker route to make it easy to transport and keep warm. I doubled this recipe and it made plenty - would be great to do and freeze half.

Bottoms up!

ingredients

• 1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets

• 2 tablespoons oil

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 tablespoon oil

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped

• 3 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth or chicken stock *

• 1 1/2 cups aged white cheddar, shredded

• 1 cup milk or cream

• salt and pepper to taste

directions

1. Toss the cauliflower florets in the oil along with the salt and pepper, arrange them in a single layer on a large baking sheet and roast in a preheated 400F/200C oven until lightly golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.

1. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat, add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

1. Add the garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant, about a minute.

1. Add the broth, deglaze the pan, add the cauliflower, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

1. Puree the soup until it reaches your desired consistency with a stick blender.

1. Mix in the cheese, let it melt without bringing it to boil again.

1. Mix in the milk, season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

Slow Cooker: Implement step 1, optionally implement steps 2 & 3, place everything except the cheese and milk in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-10 hours or high for 2-4 hours before adding the cheese and milk and cooking until the cheese has melted.Note: The amount of broth that you are going to need will depend on how large your head of cauliflower is and how thick or thin you prefer the soup to be.

http://www.closetcooking.com/2012/02/roasted-cauliflower-and-aged-white.html?m=1

Cindy's Calico Beans

I know we all love Cindy's baked bean recipe. Thought I would add it here so its always on file.

1/2 pound hamburger

1/2 pound bacon

1 cup chopped ham

1 can kidney beans

1 can butter beans

1 can pork and beans

1 can lima beans

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tbl.vineger

2 tbl.prepared yellow mustard

1/2 tsp.salt

1/2 cup catsup

 

brown and drain bacon and hamburger.

crumble bacon add ham and rest of ingredients.

include all liquid from beans (or at least half).

put in casserole and bake 40 minutes uncovered at 350 degrees.

*crockpot option- follow directions above but put all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on medium-high for 2 to 3 hours stirring occasionally.

 

ENJOY!

Easy Tuscan Bean Soup

I made this tonight and it was so so good! I added turkey meatballs for Rob and Bo. Bon appetito!

Easy Tuscan Bean Soup

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Serves: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 yellow summer squash, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 quart vegetable (or chicken) broth
• 2 (14 ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14 ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes with juices
• 3 cups chopped kale, ribs removed
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (I didn't have this so I used apple cider vinegar)

Instructions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 6 quart or larger Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, zucchini, and squash. Saute for 4 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme and rosemary. Cook 30 seconds.
3. Stir in the broth, beans, and tomatoes. Bring the contents to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and add the chopped kale. Cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Use an immersion blender* to partially puree the soup, leaving some chunks of beans vegetables for texture.
5. Add the salt, pepper, sugar, and vinegar. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
6. Serve topped with Parmesan or Dubliner cheese and a side of crusty bread.

Notes

*Alternatively, transfer small amounts to a counter top blender and puree as desired.