Creamy Cauliflower Soup

I adapted this recipe from SkinnyTaste.com with influences from The Pioneer Woman's recipe.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons or so of butter
• 1 - 2 tablespoons almond flour (this is optional)
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• maitake or your favorite mushrooms, chopped
• one extra large head of cauliflower, or 2 small ones, roughly chopped
• any other veggies you have lying around (carrot, celery, potato, anything!)
• one bunch of greens - spinach, kale, escarole, watercress, etc.
• 8 cups of chicken broth
• 4 ounces of kerrygold cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup of heavy cream
• Sprinkle in some salt, pepper, herbs and spices to taste

Directions:

In a medium dutch oven or large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. I actually used a mixture of butter and pork fat*. You could also use a small amount of bacon fat. Add the almond flour and stir about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the onions and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the chopped mushrooms and saute another 3 minutes. Add a few tablespooons of chicken broth if the pan seems too dry and starts sticking.

Add the cauliflower and any remaining veggies you'd like to throw in and cover with chicken broth until the cauliflower is just about submerged, and increase heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium-low until vegetables are tender (about 20 minutes.) Add grated cheese and heavy cream. Add the greens until wilted, about 1 minute and puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, herbs and spices to taste.

Notes

An immersion blender is an awesome tool. I have a $20 cuisinart immersion blender from bed, bath and beyond and I love that thing. It makes pureeing soups and whipping up mashed cauliflower (faux mashed potatoes) a breeze! If you don't have one, you could also use your blender, but it is messier that way.

*When I cook pork in the crockpot, I strain the juices and put in the fridge. When the fat rises to the top and solidifies, I scoop that into a mason jar and store in the fridge to cook with. It adds amazing meaty flavor to roasted vegetables and other recipes. A little bit goes a long way.

For the spices, I often use garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and turmeric whenever I can for the health benefits. In this recipe I also added a few dashes of cumin, thyme, oregano and basil, along with fresh parsley.

Chad and I enjoyed this recipe, but his request was make it "cheesier and saltier" next time.