Creamy Cauliflower Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 1 large head cauliflower (roughly chopped into about a dozen pieces)
• 8 cups water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 lbs red potatoes (peeled and chopped into 1" pieces)
• additional salt and pepper (to taste - I add about 1 teaspoon more salt, tasting as I add it a 1/4 teaspoon or so at a time.)
• Optional: crumbled bacon (shredded cheese, green onions and sour cream for toppings)

Instructions

1. 1

   Place the water and the cauliflower in a large pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, until the cauliflower is fork tender. Do not drain. While the cauliflower is cooking, saute the garlic with the oil in a small skillet over medium low heat. Cook for a couple of minutes, until just until the garlic is fragrant and soft.

2. 2

   Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked cauliflower to the blender. Add 2 cups of the cooking liquid from the cauliflower, along with the cooked garlic and oil from the skillet, the salt and the pepper. Puree until completely smooth. Depending on how powerful your blender is, this could take a few minutes. Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper as needed.

3. 3

   Set aside about 2 cups of the cauliflower cooking water and then fill the pot with fresh water and the raw potatoes. Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender, but not falling apart. This should take about 10-15 minutes. Drain the potatoes, add the cauliflower sauce and stir to combine. Mash the potatoes lightly with a potato masher, leaving plenty of small chunks in the soup. If you prefer a thinner soup, add some of the reserved cooking water and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Scoop into bowls and add toppings if desired. Enjoy!