i hope everyone had a fabulous thanksgiving.

i know we did & with my birthday last week too, we had cake & pizza & beer & thanksgiving & leftovers & biscuits & gravy to celebrate.  & while i don’t necessarily feel guilty about that {remind me i said that next week when my pants no longer fit}, it’s time to get back on track.  NOW.

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& there is no better place to get back on track than with recipes from heidi swanson’s super natural every day cookbook.  it’s packed full of wholesome, satisfying, easy to prepare, absolutely delicious recipes that, oh by the way, happen to be healthy & vegetarian.

this cauliflower soup is the perfect example of the great things within the pages of this book.  the vegetables come together in such a beautiful way that it’s smooth, rich & creamy, without any actual cream, milk, or any kind of excessive fat that usually make creamy soups so delicious. each bowl just gets a little boost from some tangy dijon flavored croutons & sharp cheddar…it wont feel like you’re sacrificing a thing.

HEIDI SWANSON’S CAULIFLOWER SOUP
serves 4-6

FOR THE CROUTONS
6 oz bread, torn into bite size pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 big pinch kosher salt

FOR THE SOUP
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 shallots, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 big pinch kosher salt
1 large potato, peeled & cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 head cauliflower, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup sharp cheddar, grated, plus more for topping
2 teaspoons dijon mustard

preheat the oven to 350°.  spread the torn bread in a single layer on a baking sheet.

in a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, olive oil, mustard & salt.  pour over the torn bread & toss with your hands to coat.  bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden & crunchy, shaking the pan every 4 minutes or so to make sure they all brown evenly.

heat the butter in a dutch oven, or large saucepan, over medium high heat.  add the shallots, onion & salt & cook until soft.  add the potato, cover & cook for 4 minutes.  you just want the potato to soften a little.  uncover, add the garlic & vegetable broth.  bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  check the potatoes.  once they’re soft, add the cauliflower.  cook, uncovered for 3-5 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender.

remove from the heat.  puree soup with an immersion blender, or very carefully in a regular blender, making sure the steam has a way to escape.  stir in the cheddar & mustard & check for seasoning.  ladle into bowls & serve with remaining cheddar & a handful of croutons.

barely adapted from super natural every day

heidi swanson has no idea who we are, we just think she does really fantastic things with food in her cookbooks & her blog, 101 cookbooks.  we wouldn’t say no if she invited us to dinner.