Cauliflower and bacon is a match made in heaven in the following paleo soup recipe.

The cauliflower is a light base that gives a smooth texture and thick consistency while the bacon adds a hearty touch with its smoky flavor and chewy texture as a garnish.

In creamy white soups like this one, it’s typical to use white potato as the foundation. But, to avoid the spike in blood-sugar levels, this soup recipe opts for cauliflower as a lighter (albeit just as creamy and filling) alternative.

Enjoy this soup recipe as a light lunch, late afternoon snack, or side dish at dinner.

Paleo Bacon and Cauliflower Soup Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients

• ½ pound sliced bacon, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Heat chopped bacon in a pot over medium-high heat. Once crisp, set the bacon pieces aside, leaving the bacon fat behind in the pot.

With the pot still over medium-high heat, add in the onions, half of the scallions, and garlic. Stir while cooking for three to five minutes, or until the onions begin to turn translucent.

Add in the vegetable stock, bay leaves, heavy cream, cauliflower, white pepper, salt, and pepper. Stir. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Put a lid on the pot and let cook for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender.

Remove the pot from the heat and let cool slightly before blending with an immersion blender or a standing blender. If using a standing blender, blend the mixture in batches and be cautious of the heat.

Once smooth, pour the soup back into a pot to reheat and then serve in four bowls, garnishing each with the crispy bacon pieces and leftover sliced scallions.

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The post Paleo Bacon and Cauliflower Soup: Creamy, Smoky Comfort in a Bowl appeared first on EcoSalon.

Yet cooked, cauliflower is one of the more versatile vegetables I know. Great in soups, pureed as a side dish, baked into savory gratins, or my favorite – roasted.

Roasting brings out cauliflower’s natural sweetness and when it browns and caramelizes it becomes as addictive as potato chips. You can pretty much use any flavor profile you want: Italian with garlic, parsley, pepper flakes, and Parmesan; Indian with whole spices, ginger, and garlic; or sublimely simple with just salt and olive oil. You can’t really go wrong. Just use a very hot oven (400-450 F) and make sure the garlic is spread out in a single layer and not crowded (otherwise it will steam).

If you need recipes, here are two different versions of roasted cauliflower that sound like winners.

From Slashfood, the roasted cauliflower teams up with a little bit of bacon in this recipe.

And Food 52’s recent cauliflower recipe winner features gremolata breadcrumbs. I make a similar dish but I toss the cauliflower and garlicky crumbs with orecchiette pasta and top it with Parmesan cheese. The play of different textures in the dish is revelatory.

If you want to pair your cauliflower with protein into a one-dish meal, try this recipe for Curried Red Lentils and Cauliflower from Eating Well.

If it’s soup you’re craving, take my recipe for Curried Cauliflower Soup with Mustard Seed Oil for a spin.

Image: Linda N via Flickr

The post Don’t Hate the Cauliflower appeared first on EcoSalon.