Loaded Cauliflower Soup

Want comfort but still want to fit into your skinny pants? This soup has all the flavor of potato soup with a lot less calories and fat. It is creamy and thick and perfect for a winter’s night.

Ingredients (serves 4):

1/3 cup plus 4 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth, divided

2 stalks of celery, diced

1 small carrot, diced

½ of a medium onion, diced

2 (14.4 ounce) packages of frozen cauliflower, thawed

1 Tablespoon ham soup base (you can usually find this in the soup aisle, next to the stocks and broths)

1 Tablespoon flour

¾ cup fat free half and half

Salt and pepper to taste

Garnishes:

Crispy bacon, crumbled

Sliced green onions

Light sour cream

Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Heat the 1/3 cup broth in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the celery, carrots and onion and cook for about 3 or 4 minutes, until the veggies get soft. Add in the cauliflower and the remaining 4 cups of broth.

Stir in the ham soup base and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Combine the flour and half and half in a jar with a tight sealing lid and shake vigorously. Add to the soup and bring back up to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 more minutes.

Turn the heat off and blend everything together with either an immersion (hand-held stick) blender or by placing a few ladlesful at a time into a blender (with the middle of the top removed and a towel placed over the top). Feel free to make it as creamy or as chunky as you like.

Taste and add salt and pepper to your preference. Serve hot in bowls with the garnishes alongside.