This is a great fresh ingredient soup that one could claim is French in so much as it uses cream, but is also sort of American because it uses bacon. Either way, I claim it’s healthy since all the ingredients are fresh.
Ingredients
- 2 Cauliflower heads – cut into florets
- 2 tsp Olive oil
- 4 slices of bacon – cut into strips
- 0.5 Onion – diced
- 2 garlic cloves – minced
- 2 oz. White wine
- 48 oz. Chicken broth (6 cups)
- 12 oz. Heavy cream
- 1 Bay leaf
- 6 Thyme sprigs – divided
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- Shredded cheese and/or chives for garnish
Process
- Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C).
- Brush olive oil over cauliflower and place in roasting pan. Place four thyme springs on top and roast for 20 mins.
- In a Dutch oven (cast iron is best), cook the bacon and retain the fat.
- Cook diced onions in the bacon fat until translucent (~5 mins).
- Add garlic and cook 1 min.
- Add wine and cook until reduced (~2 mins).
- Add the roasted cauliflower florets the four roasted thyme sprigs + two fresh sprigs, the broth and the bay leaf.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring soup to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
- Prior to serving, add the cream and bacon, and bring back to simmer. Salt and pepper to taste.
