Cauliflower Soup!

This week's new recipe: Cauliflower Cheese Soup!

It's been snowy and cold, and when that happens, I have a tendency to make soup. Crockpot beef stew is a favorite, as are chili, corn chowder, and minestrone. I promise to post recipes for these the next time I make them. However, this time I happened to have a head of cauliflower already in the crisper, potatoes from the 10-lb bag I bought for Thanksgiving, sharp cheddar cheese, and leftover vegetable stock. Thus, no need to go to the store, and soup that doesn't require 2 hours of simmering!

Cauliflower Cheese Soup
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, smashed and rough chopped
Olive oil
2-3 medium Russet potatoes, cubed
1 head cauliflower (I had a pretty big one, but used it all), cut into bite-size florets
1 bottle beer (I used Shiner Bock but it's up to you what you use. You can also replace the beer with water if you swing that way)
Approximately 2-3 cups of Imagine Organic vegetable broth (this is important; it gives extra flavor and makes up for the lower amount of cheese by giving an almost cheesy taste. You may need to add more cheese if you use a different broth!)
2 American cheese slices
4-6 oz sharp cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

I sauteed the onion and garlic in olive oil until they were soft and started to take a little color, then added the beer, waited until it stopped foaming, then added the potatoes and vegetable broth. I let these cook for about 10 minutes, then added all the cauliflower, about 1/2 tsp salt, and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper, put the lid on, and brought it to a simmer on what was probably med-high heat. Then I turned it down, and let it simmer until the potatoes and cauliflower were soft. It was probably half an hour, but it'll vary, so taste your soup! Add salt and pepper as needed, take it off the heat, and stir in the American cheese first (it helps with emulsification), then chunks of cheddar. Stir until combined. I served ours with just some reheated Italian bread and a Shiner Bock for each of us!