Puree of Cauliflower Soup with blue cheese and bacon

By cindygwest

Ingredients

• 2 strips bacon, halved on the bias
• 1/2 cup minced shallots
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 6 cups cauliflower florets, divided (about 1 head)
• 1 cup peeled and diced russet potato
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 sprigs fresh parsley
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
• salt and cayenne pepper to taste
• Crumbled blue cheese

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Cook bacon in a large pot over medium-high heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate; set aside. Reduce heat to medium-low.
Sweat shallots and celery in bacon drippings until soft, 5 minutes. Stir in 5 1/2 cups cauliflower and potato. Add broth, milk, bay leaf, parsley, and thyme. Bring soup to a simmer; cook until cauliflower is tender, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, blanch remaining 1/2 cup cauliflower florets in boiling salted water just until crisp-tender, 5 minutes. Immediately shock in ice water; set aside.
Strain the soup, discarding bay leaf, parsley, and thyme.
Puree strained vegetables in batches in a blender with a small portion of the cooking liquid until smooth. Return pureed cauliflower to pot along with strained liquid over low heat; stir in 2 oz. blue cheese until melted. Season soup with salt and cayenne.
Garnish each serving of soup with a few cauliflower florets, a bacon strip, and blue cheese crumbles.