Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Cheese on Cityline!

I was so excited to talk to Tracy and the Cityline audience about this super easy and tasty soup. Using a whole head of cauliflower the ease of making this soup is great but the flavour and creamy texture will win you over. With the endless variety of ways to serve up this soup you can have lots of fun and get the kids to help you out too! Thanks so much to Longo's for sponsoring the groceries for the segment, it was so much fun! Hope everyone enjoys the soup:

Photo courtesy of Longo's

Herbed Gruyere and Cauliflower soup

Smooth and creamy, this easy soup is the perfect addition to your entertaining table. A sprinkling of fresh herbs or a drizzle of chili oil over top will jazz the soup up or for some crunch, top soup with garlic croutons.

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 25 min

2 tbsp (30 mL) butter

1 onion, chopped 

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour

1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 head cauliflower (about 2 lb/1 kg), cut into small florets

6 cups (1.5 L) vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) shredded gruyere cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

In a soup pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat and cook onion and garlic for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in flour, and thyme and stir until coated well. Stir in cauliflower and broth. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender. 

Using an immersion blender or using a ladle and pouring soup into a blender in batches, purée soup until smooth. Stir in cheese and black pepper to taste and until cheese is melted.

Makes about 10 cups/2.5 L or 8 to 10 servings.

Gruyere Cheese is a classic wash-rind, cellar cured Swiss cheese, aged 9 month or more. 

Cheese Substitute: You can use any aged Swiss or cheddar. 

Broccoli Variation: Substitute same amount of broccoli for the cauliflower.

Serving Ideas:

-great to serve in a bread bowl for kids

-diced apple raw or cooked would be tasty served on top or even to dip into it

-perfect with garlic croutons sprinkled on top or roasted cauliflower for a heightened flavour for adults (although kids may like it too)