CREAMY CAULIFLOWER AND BACON SOUP, DAIRY FREE

It's soup weather again!  It went from hot to cold really fast here in MN.  It does that here.  You can have the air conditioner on one day and the furnace the next.  Or you can actually have both going at different times in the same day.  That's Minnesota fer ya.  Gotta love it!  I do.  I love the mixture of weather here in Minnesota.  It's no wonder it's so often the topic of conversation.  And then the next topic is good food, like warm hearty soup on a cold day.  Visit my facebook page and join in on sharing more soup recipes! There's some great ideas already posted.

I made this one dairy free, not because I cannot have dairy, but I just decided to cut down on my dairy today.  I'm having some congestion, so don't want anything that might possibly add to that.  At the bottom of the recipe I have some suggestions for variations also.

                   

 CREAMY CAULIFLOWER AND BACON SOUP

6 slices  bacon -- (I use Hormel natural bacon)
3 stalks  celery -- chopped fine
1 pound  cauliflower
32 ounces  chicken stock -- (homemade is best if you have it, otherwise I use Rachael Ray's)
1 tablespoon  minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon  onion powder
1/2 teaspoon  thyme
1/2 teaspoon  salt -- (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon  pepper

Cut bacon into small pieces with a scissors.  In 3 or 4 quart saucepan, cook and stir bacon pieces until crispy.  Remove bacon onto paper towel, but keep the grease in the pan.  Add celery and cook, stirring, until tender.  Add cauliflower, chicken stock, garlic, onion powder, thyme, salt, and pepper.  Stir together and cook on low for 15 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.

Place most of the soup into a blender, (I used a Ninja) and pulse until pureed.   I leave a small amount of the vegetables in the bottom of the pan for a few chunks.  Pour pureed soup back into pan.  Add bacon pieces.

Options:  I made this to be dairy free, but if you want it creamier and you can have dairy, add some shredded cheese, or if you don't want dairy, add 2 tbsp of Nutritional yeast flakes for a cheesy taste.  Also you could add some heavy cream if you want a creamier soup.  This is pretty much a base recipe.  Another variation is to add roasted red peppers, or a few carrots.  Variations are endless.  Just be sure to add the nutritional value for whatever you add to the soup.  I think I may try this with a jar of Gia Russa Alfredo sauce next time.  I like this Alfredo because it uses natural ingredients and is wheat free and makes a good substitute for a creamed soup.

This made 5 scant cups. Each serving is about 1 cup.

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5 Servings/Per Serving: 91 Calories; 4g Fat (43.0% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber