Creamy Curried Cauliflower Soup

Here is a recipe I've been experimenting with. My ten year old loves cream of broccoli and my husband loves cauliflower, so I decided to combine. It's not incredibly fast because of the vegetable chopping, but it took me only about 20 minutes to get it simmering on a day when the kids weren't too crazy and interrupting.

I love soups, too, Shelby, and love to experiment with them. This soup works well without as many spices, too, though it's a still a very subtle curry flavor. My whole family loves this soup, even the three year old.

Creamy Curried Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:

One large onion
Two stalks celery
Two medium carrots
One large potato peeled and diced
Handful of Italian Parsley
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. smoked paprika
1 T. chilli powder
1 t. garam masala or your favorite curry
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
1 t. salt

1/2 c white wine (optional--I only use it if I have some on hand, which is rare--Trader Joe's has good cheap bottles)
2 c water
One large head cauliflower
2 c bechamel sauce (aka white sauce)*
1 c. cream, half and half or milk

Directions:

In heavy bottomed pot, sautee diced vegetables, garlic and chopped parsley in the olive oil gently over medium heat until soft and onion is transparent. Turn heat up to medium high and throw in ground spices--give the vegetables a few turns until the spices look like they've cooked a little, but before the vegatables brown too much. Add water and cauliflower. simmer until cauliflower is just tender. Add wine and simmer for several more minutes, then incorporate a cup of liquid from the soup into the bechamel. Transfer bechamel to big soup pot. Remove bay leaf. Finish with cream, and adjust seasoning. Don't let soup boil after the addition of the cream. This soup may be pureed or served as is.

*Bechamel (I use this as a base for everything, especially things you would use a can of creamed soup in.)

1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
1 t. salt
2 c. milk
a light grating of nutmeg, if you like that flavor.

Melt butter over medium to medium high heat. Whisk in flour, and keep whisking until the color turns golden brown. Whisk in milk. Leave over heat until the sauce bubbles, then turn down to low and cover for ten minutes.