Southern California had a bit of a cold spell. If you haven't seen this Youtube video making fun of us you should check it out for a laugh. I am totally one of those people bundled up for the 50 degree temperatures. I cranked up my heater, wore long sleeves, a sweater, and socks while I made some delicious warm-you-up soup. I've been avoiding grocery shopping for fear of the cold so I had to scrounge for ingredients. I had a head of cauliflower and a couple sweet potatoes so I knew I at least had a base for a soup. What sprang forth was a true delight. The vibrant colors matched the vibrant flavor. I'm sure it'll do wonders to warm the bodies of people who suffer from true freezing temperatures!
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and Pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch cinnamon
1/4 tsp + 1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 onion, diced
2 large sweet potatoes, pealed, cut into bite sized pieces
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
1/2 lb candied bacon, crumbled
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet or jelly roll pan with nonstick spray. Spread the cauliflower florets out on the pan in a single layer. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon, and 1 pinch cayenne pepper. Roast for about 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, saute the onions (seasoned with a bit of salt) in 1 tablespoon olive oil for 3-5 minutes. Add in the cayenne pepper during the last minute or so of cooking. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Throw the sweet potatoes in and boil for about 10-15 minutes (depending on the size of your pieces), until the sweet potatoes are tender.
3. Either transfer the sweet potato/chicken broth mixture to a blender and blend in batches until smooth, or use a handy dandy hand mixer and just blend it in the pot.
4. Return to a pot over low heat and add in the cheddar cheese. Stir until melted. Add in the roasted cauliflower, and chives. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Serve with candied bacon crumbled on top.
What does it mean when a recipe says "season with salt and pepper?" Adding salt at various stages of cooking helps to bring out the flavors of each ingredient. Soup making is all about flavor building. In the recipe above you season the cauliflower, you season the onions, and then you may add even more salt at the end. Now, you don't want to be dumping on the salt otherwise you'll just end up with food that tastes more like the ocean than a good soup. I use a salt grinder and it's literally just 2 or 3 grinds of the shaker. Just a little sprinkling is all it takes to really bring out the flavors in your food. Remember that salt poured on at the table just adds saltiness, but salt added during the cooking process adds flavor.
