Soup?  Why soup?  Well, it’s completely delicious.  And comforting.  Not to mention the ginormous bonus that you can sneak in a really big portion of vegetables.  You can get fiber, phyto-nutrients (fancy talk for plant nutrients) and flexibility with unlimited versions depending on what you have in your fridge, and what’s in season.  We eat soup every day at our house.  I think it’s one of the best ways to begin a meal.  My friends ask the question “You eat soup in the summer?  It’s so hot, already.”  Uh huh.  But we just don’t heat it up to scorching.  If it’s a hot day, just take the chill off it and you get a different flavor experience than when it’s steaming.  There are so many different ways to go but the start is the same.

Start by choosing your fat.  So many choices!!  My preference is chicken fat.  Don’t freak out.  Fat is good as long as it’s a natural fat (=unadulterated).  So, butter or a mix of butter and olive oil will work, too.

Into a large soup pot, add 2 Tbsp of fat.  Heat to medium and add in 1/4- 1/2 medium chopped onion, 2-3 chopped carrots and 3-4 sticks of celery, chopped.  Add salt 1tsp., 1/2 tsp. black pepper and 1/4 tsp. turmeric (you’ll never know it’s there and it will add beautiful golden color to your soup)

Put the lid on and cook the veggies til tender, about 15 mins.  To this I add an entire head of cauliflower, cut into chunks.  Not huge pieces, just cut the core out and slice into about 10-12 approximately equal sized chunks.  This way it will all be tender about the same time.

Now, you need to add a liquid.  I use chicken broth.  Homemade or store bought, either will work.  I try to use at least some homemade because you cannot beat the flavor.  You can use vegetable broth if you want to keep this vegetarian friendly.  Add liquid to almost the top of the cauliflower, (approx. 4-6 cups, depending on the size of your cauliflower) leaving maybe an inch or so protruding out the top.  This is because we like a thicker soup.  Hey, if you like yours thin and runny, go on and add more liquid.  Bring the whole thing to a boil and reduce to simmer with the lid on.  Let it go for at least 30 minutes.  Stir and see if the cauliflower is tender.  Not reduced to mush, but tender.

When it’s nice and tender (yields to spoon without disintegrating), turn off heat and put the lid back on.  Let it sit for at least 30 minutes until it’s not going to burn you because here comes the fun part.   Whip out your immersion blender and blend until there are no chunks or bits.  Start slow and then turn it on high and let your soup become creamy and smooth.   No immersion blender?  No problem.  Use your grandma’s hand-me-down blender or food processor, working in batches so you don’t overload it. 

Got the basics?  Great!  This is where it gets interesting.  Do you love garlic?  Have some extra shallots on hand?  Has your neighbor left a bag of squash on your porch?  Awesome!  Now you can make local and sustainable soup!!  Need to use up some broccoli or cabbage?  Perfect.  We can use it.  Got a cold?  How about increasing the carrots (or use butternut squash) and add 1 Tbps. grated ginger make a lovely carrot ginger soup?  Basically, the sky is the limit.  This summer I have been rich in zucchini and yellow squash.  I haven’t bought cauliflower for my soup in months because I have been using the summer squash, thanks to my generous friends. 

Try this soup.  It will fill you up and it is ridiculously rich in nutrients yet costs very little to create.  As an extra bonus, you might find you can skip the fiber pills once you incorporate this into your regular diet!