Cauliflower soup

Soup is a mainstay for me on busy nights - I can prepare it in advance and just leave it on the stove for us to dole out as needed. While trying to figure out what kind of soup to make, I spied a head of cauliflower in the refrigerator that I was afraid might go bad, so I decided on a cauliflower soup of some sort.

This quick and warming cauliflower soup recipe uses the starch in onions and cauliflower to make a creamy soup from puréed vegetables and low-fat milk. It makes a gentle start to a heavier meal, or serve it with crusty bread for a light dinner.

Ingredients:

1. 2 Tbsp. butter, plus 2 Tbsp. for optional garnish
2. 2 onion, roughly chopped
3. 1/2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
4. 2 cloves garlic, chopped
5. 1 head cauliflower, chopped
6. 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
7. 1/2 tsp. freshly ground white pepper
8. 2 cups low-fat milk
9. 2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley, optional

Preparation:

• In a large pot over medium heat, melt 2 Tbsp. butter. Add onions and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat so onions are cooking but not browning, until onions look starchy and a bit creamy, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add cauliflower, stir to combine, cover and cook 3 minutes. Add broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer and cook until cauliflower is tender to the bite, about 10 minutes.
• Purée soup with a hand-held blender. Or, whirl in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth (place a kitchen towel over blender to prevent potential burns).
  Stir in pepper.
• Add milk and cook over medium-low heat until hot. Meanwhile, melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter and stir in parsley. Serve soup hot, with a swirl of parsley butter, if you like.

Serve this hot with cheese for additional flavour.