Week 4: Cauliflower & Parmesan Soup

Mmmmmmmm.... My favorite soup so far.
I think I'm going to have to add a star to the Souper Challenge rating system.

I have to say, I chose this recipe because it seemed really easy to make, and this is a busy week for me. But I do love cauliflower and I'm all about prosciutto & parmesan, so this had to be good. Also, I think the true secret to soup is to make it the night before and reheat, finish & enjoy the next day because the soup transformed over night into pure, melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness--- and yes, I'm still talking about cauliflower. I did tweak the recipe a tad, adding extra parmesan and a bit of fresh squeezed lemon juice and glad I did. Can't wait to finish the leftovers.

As for the cost of the soup, everything came out to a little over $20. If you want to cut costs, I'm not sold on the creme fraiche, so that could have been substituted for plain sour cream or a heavy cream, or maybe even cream cheese. Also, I did not get the chance to stop by the farmer's market this week where leaks are $1 a bunch, so instead I purchased them at Safeway where I paid almost $5... Ouch! But with better planning, I could have saved a few bucks and kept the cost down. A cost saving tip: I froze the remainder of the broth I did not use, so I still have 4 cups of broth for next week, so technically, I could cut the cost of the broth in half, and that eases my conscience for over paying for leeks.

To make this soup, saute leeks in a bit of butter til softened. Then add cauliflower florets, chicken stock, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer, covered for 20 minutes or until cauliflower is very soft. Puree soup in batches and return to pot. Whisk in Parmesan cheese to taste, the recipe calls for 1/2 cup, but I'm pretty sure I put in at least twice that amount. Also whisk in the creme fraiche. You can purchase creme fraiche in the cheese section of the grocery store (I found mine at Safeway); or you can make your own using heavy cream & sour cream. I figured that by the time I purchase both ingredients I may as well buy it all ready made and save myself some time. Also, it has a pretty long shelf life, so I will be able to use it again. If you do choose to make this, whisk 1 cup cream with 1/2 cup sour cream and let stand at room temperature for 6 HOURS, then refrigerate it. Still, I'm not sure this really added much in terms of taste, so if you don't have any and don't want to buy any, I'm sure there is a substitute you could use. After the creme, season with salt. Keep in mind the Parmesan and prosciutto add saltiness too, so don't over do it. At this point, the soup was pretty good, but I felt it needed a little something. At first I added a touch more of cayenne, but quickly decided I wasn't feeling a spicy soup this week. Then I remembered about the awesome lemons my aunt brought over from her tree, so I added the juice from half of a really big, juicy lemon. The citrus gave it a little tang without being overpowering. I'll definitely keep the lemon in the recipe.

This was the point I refrigerated the soup overnight. It was pretty good when it went in the refrigerator, but, OMG, soooooo good reheated the next day. Reheat over medium heat. Sautee prosciutto strips until crisp and browned. The prosciutto was totaly completed the soup by adding a more savory taste. Although this soup was amazing, it's definitly more of a starter and not so much a meal. Just like you wouldn't eat a head of cauliflower for dinner, this soup is pretty much pureed cauliflower & cheese but SOOOO yummy! I think Parmesan is one of the least fatty cheeses (though I'm afraid to really check and confirm this), and the amount of creme in the large bowl of soup is minimal, but the flavor is very strong, so a small bowl of soup before our entree was perfect. The girls agreed and even said they would make this on their own. Yay for soup and a great week for the Souper Challenge!

Prep time:
Cook time: 20 min
Servings: 6
Taste: 5 stars!!!!
Prep: super easy
Cost: $20.66
Stores: many, but could have been just 1

Ingredients4 tablespoons butter / from home
3 cups chopped leaks (4 leaks) / $2.99 / lb = $4.81
12 cups cauliflowe florets (2 large heads) / 2 @ $1.79 = $3.58 / Real Produce8 cups chicken broth / $2.49 / Smart & Final
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper / from home
1 cup + Parmesan / from home
1/2 cup creme fraiche / $5.79 / Safeway
juice from 1 lemon / from home
salt / from home
4 ounces sliced prosciutto (more if desired) / $3.99 / Trader Joe's