82 degrees to 37 degrees in less than 48 hours.  welcome to texas.

this recipe came just in time for the abrupt cold front that hit this morning.  it is now very clear to me that God had a part in this failed attempt to make cheesy, garlicky, cauliflower mashed potatoes…because it ended up being a beautiful failure. :)

this is my idea of “comfort food.”  i don’t know where that term originally came from, but i’m pretty sure it was somewhere cold.  somewhere food could be used to warm you up so you feel “comfortable” again.

you can also take comfort in this…cauliflower is a cancer-killing, anti-oxidizing vegetable that just so happens to be a natural anti-inflammatory.  so if you suffer from arthritis, diabetes mellitus, obesity, ulcers, or IBS…you gotta try this recipe!  this soup is a nutritional, body-heat-conducting, powerhouse!

now you can stop “carb-loading” with your starchy baked potato soup…and you won’t even miss it!  promise.

cauliflower “loaded baked potato” soup

•  1 head of cauliflower, cut into 1-2 inch florets (5-6 cups)
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed open with the side of a chef’s knife
• 1 cup water (can also use vegetable broth)
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or water)
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt
• 1/4 cup organic olive oil
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast seasoning** (available at most health food stores)
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped chives
• 1 tbsp cut up bacon pieces (optional)
• pinch of shredded cheese on top if desired (or veggie cheese shreds for vegan soup)

**nutritional yeast is what adds a lot of the flavor and “cheesiness” to this soup

instructions:

in a large sauce pot, place cauliflower, garlic cloves, water, almond milk and sea salt.  cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 12-15 minutes (until tender), stirring occasionally.  drain cauliflower and reserve the cooking liquid!

pureé in food processor until smooth. (i have a 9-cup food processor, however you may want to pureé in 2 batches if yours is smaller.  handheld blender would also work if you don’t have a food processor.)  with motor running, add back in 1/2 cup of cooking liquid, olive oil, pepper, garlic salt, and nutritional yeast.  adjust seasoning to taste. yields 3-4 servings.

serve hot, top with fresh chopped herbs, bits of bacon, and shredded cheese (according to your preferences/diet.)