Cooking for Zo

Taste Level: VG
Cost: $20 and under
Serves: 6-8
Prep Time: 10-15 min.
Cook Time: 25-30 min.
Difficulty: 1

I kept telling Zo I was going to make Cauliflower soup and I kept letting heads of Cauliflower go bad. It is not that I did not have an idea in my head... I was just being lazy and not wanting to cook. I mean I cooked over 200 recipes this year. Sure some of them were ideas I came up with our first year together and others I had made over the years. But once I hit 200 posts on Cooking for Zo I felt pretty burnt out! It is not that I am out of ideas like I thought I would be. I still have about 50 more ideas summarized and ready to use. I just have not been in the mood to use those ideas. Today though I felt like getting a new idea out there!

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower (finely chopped, stem and leaves removed)
1 medium yellow onion (chopped)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
2 green onions (chopped)
1 tsp fresh rosemary (diced)
1/3 cup Parmesan Reggiano (grated)
1/3 cup Double Gloucester with onions and chives
2 cups vegetable bullion
1 pint half and half
2 tbsp sour cream
coarse sea salt (to taste)
fresh crack pepper medley (to taste)
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/4 tsp black truffle oil
Smoked paprika (for garnish and flavoring)

In a large stock pot heat 2 tsp of olive oil and 1 tsp of truffle oil over medium high heat. Once heated add yellow onion and garlic, cooking until translucent (about 5-7 minutes.) Using a wooden spoon stir in cauliflower, cover and cook for 7 minutes.

While covered and cooking prepare your vegetable bullion.

Stir in Rosemary, green onion and bullion, cover and cook another 5 minutes. Add all additional ingredients and cook for 5-10 minutes or until cauliflower is completely softened to your desired level. Now there are a few was to go about this next step. You can either use an Immersion blender, a regular blender or a food processor. We have all three so I will explain each;

Way 1. If you have an Immersion blender, remove stock pot from heat and blend for 3-4 minutes until about 3/4 of the soup is liquefied. (This is the easiest way by far.)

Way 2. If you have a regular blender, add soup to the blender until it is about 3/4 way full. Blend till smooth and then stir back into pot and heat through. (This is not to bad.)

Way 3. If you have a food processor you will probably need to do this in two to three steps. Pour portions of soup into batches that fit your processor and process until smooth, stirring each batch back into pot and heating through. (Takes a bit of time and can be a mess.)After whatever way you choose to liquefy 3/4 of the soup. Turn off and let reach desired serving temperature.

Over each bowl sprinkle 1/8-1/4 tsp of smoked paprika (to your taste) and serve.