Creamy Cauliflower-Cheddar Cheese Soup

Source: King Arthur

4 tablespoons (2 ounces) butter
1 medium-to-large yellow onion (about 8 ounces), diced (about 1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3 cups (24 ounces) chicken broth (use vegetable broth if you'd like a vegetarian version)
1 pound cauliflower florets, fresh or frozen
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/4 cup (2 ounces) sherry or white wine (optional)
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) evaporated milk or light cream
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded*

*Try to use the sharpest cheddar you can find; the flavor of a mild cheddar will get lost.

In a deep, fairly wide-bottomed saucepan, cook the onion in the butter till it's softened and is beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, then the broth, cauliflower, salt, mustard and sherry or wine. Let the soup simmer for 15 minutes, or till the cauliflower is very soft.

Puree the mixture using a hand blender, or in a blender or food processor. Return the soup to the pot, and stir in the evaporated milk or cream and the cheese. Bring the soup to a bare simmer, and cook very gently just till the cheese melts, stirring all the while; this will only take a minute or so. Serve the soup hot, garnished with fresh or dried chives, if desired. Yield: 7 cups, about 5 servings.

Nutrition information per serving (about 1 1/3 cups, 281g): 399 cal, 27g fat, 21g protein, 19g complex carbohydrates, 3g dietary fiber, 79mg cholesterol, 1068mg sodium, 722mg potassium, 319RE vitamin A, 45mg vitamin C, 1mg iron, 561mg calcium, 468mg phosphorus.

This recipe reprinted from The Baking Sheet (Vol. XIII, No. 2, Winter 2002 issue). The Baking Sheet is a newsletter published six times a year by The Baker's Catalogue, P.O. Box 876, Norwich, Vermont 05055.

I talked about this recipe HERE.