Creamy and Healthy Cauliflower Potage

I love instant Japanese potage. They come in packets with dehyrdrated corn, carrots, and an assortment of vegetables and all you need is to add hot water, dissolve the contents and wa-lah! creamy, tasty hot potage calling your name. Perfect for a lazy cold day. However, in an effort to eat more veggies and less processed food (bye bye pretty much all packets of instant foods), I made this creamy cauliflower potage soup based on a potato potage recipe. The recipe is super easy and makes you feel good about eating it since it's high in fiber and also an easy way to eat lots of cauliflower without even thinking about it. Why cauliflower? Cauliflower contains high levels of antioxidants such as Vitamin C and Manganese. It also has lots of vitamin K which helps with bone strength, blood clotting, and reduces inflammation. Cauliflower also contains many of the B vitamins such as B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine) and B9 (folic acid)...ok, am I starting to sound like a textbook? In other words, eat more cauliflower!


INGREDIENTS

• 1 head of cauliflower, leaves removed, roughly chopped (about 625g)
• 1/2 Medium size yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder (or 1 cube of chicken bouillon)
• 300mL water (1C + 1/4C)
• 236mL milk (1C) - I used 2% lactose free milk, use whole milk or heavy whipping cream if you prefer a creamier soup. 
• 2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter
• Black pepper (optional)
• Canadian bacon (optional)
• Sprig of parsley (for garnish)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium heat and add the chopped onions.
2. Fry the onions on medium heat until translucent, taking care not to burn the onions
3. Add the water and 1 tsp bouillon powder and stir a few times so that the bouillon powder is well mixed into the soup.
4. Once the water boils, add all the cauliflower, put a lid over it and turn the heat down to medium low, allowing the cauliflowers to cook completely (until it's soft and mushy, about 20 minutes).
5. Once the cauliflower is thoroughly cooked through, you can transfer the soup to a blender. Add the milk to the blender and blend until paste-form. Be careful while you transfer as the soup is very hot! You can also use an immersion blender and directly blend the soup in the pot.
6.  Enjoy hot with black pepper, lightly pan fried pieces of Canadian bacon and a sprig of parsley if desired. 

PICTORIAL INSTRUCTIONS:

Flip cauliflower upside down and remove outer leaves of cauliflower. Next, Cut from the stem portion of each floret, separating from the large center stalk. Cut into florets, trying to keep the sizes as even as possible. I also keep the center stalk of the cauliflower as well since everything will get cooked down and pureed later.

(LEFT to RIGHT): Melt butter and saute the onions until translucent. Add water and chicken bouillon and bring the soup to a boil. Next, add cauliflowers, cover with a lid, and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the cauliflowers are thoroughly cooked through. You should be able to push a fork through the cauliflowers with little effort.

Pour half the contents in the pot into a blender, and add 1/2 cup of milk and blend until smooth. Pour out the contents from the blender and do the same thing with the remaining cooked cauliflower and 1/2 cup of milk. If your blender is very powerful, you may be able to cream all the cauliflower and milk at once.  

Top with some Canadian bacon and ground black pepper and enjoyed with salad, homemade cranberry walnut bread, and eggplant baked over marinara and cheese!

Note: Nutrition fact based on using 1 cup of fairlife 2% lactose free milk.