Cauliflower Soup with Cheddar Crisps

It's soup season! Hooray! Making soups is one of my favorite things to cook, its relaxing in a weird way. I thought my first soup of the season would be with something I have never cooked before – cauliflower.  I've always been intimidated by cauliflower when I pass it by in the grocery store or market. It seemed so big and scary. But, I finally got one and it turned out to be really easy! You just remove the inner core and chop into smaller florets. This soup came out so flavorful, and the cheddar crisps, wow! They were such a nice touch! I could snack on those all day long. Great just by itself as an appetizer with a glass of wine.

Cauliflower Soup with Cheddar Crisps

adapted from Dave Lieberman

1 head cauliflower

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 leek, light green and white parts, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 quart chicken stock

1/2 cup finely grated parmesan

salt and pepper

1 Preheat oven to 350

2 Remove leaves and inner core of the cauliflower and chop into pieces.

3 Heat olive oil in large pot and saute leeks and garlic until soft.

4 Add the cauliflower and stock and bring to a simmer, cover and cook until cauliflower is softened, about 15 minutes.

5 Use a hand immersion blender to puree the soup until creamy and smooth. Add the parmesan and and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste,

Cheddar Crisps

handful of shredded cheddar

1 Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread the cheese in 1 thin even layer.

2 Bake around 10 minutes until golden and crisp. Break into large pieces and garnish each soup bowl with 1-2 crisps. Enjoy!