Creamy Cauliflower Soup

I'm not big on surprises. I like things planned. Surprises make me feel out of control. People coming by with only a little notice drives me crazy. I want my house in order and food planned. Don't call me and tell me you're coming by at a meal time with only a couple of hours notice. I want to be able to plan a wonderful meal for you. Let me know the day before and you will get gastronomical delights. Let me know a couple of hours before and you're likely to get a PB&J sandwich.

But there are some surprises I do like. The other day I thought I was only going to have my grandbaby for a couple hours and, because of a miscommunication, I had 6 hours with him. Delightful surprise!

And this soup turned out to be another delightful surprise! I will reveal the surprise in my notes.

This soup is creamy without being thick. It would be a great starter dish, fairly light and yet has just a hint of richness. I may be late coming to the table, but I had never really thought of cauliflower as being a main ingredient for a soup. But it works very nicely. Try it for yourself.

Ingredients

1 medium head cauliflower broken into flowerets (2 1/2 cups)

2 cups water

1 TBS. butter

1 TBS. olive oil

1 large onion finely chopped

1/2 cup red bell pepper chopped

2 TBS. flour

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 cup half and half

2 cups packed grated cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

In a 3 quart saucepan over high heat bring cauliflower and water to a boil. Cover and simmer 4 minutes or until cauliflower is tender-crisp. Drain cauliflower, reserving 1 cup liquid.

In same saucepan over medium high heat, melt butter and oil. Cook onion about 10 minutes until very tender. Add peppers and cook another 5 minutes. Stir in flour until well blended. Gradually stir in chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce and stir until thickened. Reduce heat. Stir in cauliflower, cheese and salt and pepper. If it is too thick use reserved liquid to thin to desired thickness. Cook until heated through. Serve with a sprinkle of paprika.

Notes: Ok, for the surprise. I wasn't that enamored of this soup when I first made it. It sat in the fridge for a couple of days before I reminded my hubby to take some in his lunch. He loved it! He raved about how flavorful it was without being thick. So, I heated up some to give it a second try. Surprise! It's better the second and third days. Aging serves it well. So, if you want this soup when you come to my house, give me a day's notice...no surprises. Enjoy!