Creamy Roasted Red Pepper and Cauliflower Soup with Goat Cheese

YUM! This soup is delicious, especially on a cold wintery day. 

Picture and recipe courtesy of Closet Cooking

4 red bell pepper, cut in half and seeds removed

1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon thyme, chopped

1 pinch red pepper flakes

4 cups chicken broth or chicken stock or vegetable broth

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

salt and pepper to taste

Place the red peppers on a baking sheet with the cut side facing down, broil until the skins are blackened, about 10 minutes, place in a sealable container and let 'steam' for 20 minutes before pinching the skins off and dicing.

Meanwhile, toss the cauliflower in the oil, place it in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees until tender and caramelized, about 20-30 minutes, mixing once in the middle.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat and cook the onion until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Add the roasted red peppers, cauliflower, broth, paprika and goat cheese and simmer for 10 minutes before pureeing to the desired consistency with a hand blender. Season with salt and pepper and serve garnished with goat cheese.

I found the most tedious part of this to be pinching the skins off the red peppers. But you know what? I just realized that I sliced them thinly first and then broiled them. I highly do not recommend that. I'd be interested in hearing if the skins pinched off easily with the peppers only cut in half.

Also, the goat cheese garnish at the end adds quite a bit of flavor--I highly recommend sprinkling some on top!

Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup

One thing I've noticed Utah has an abundance of but Texas seems to be lacking is a good selection of mid-grade places to eat. You know, places like Zupas, Cafe Rio, Kneaders, Guru's, Fazoli's...great places to grab a bite to eat which are nicer than fast food but don't break the bank. Panera Bread is one of those places. I've only been there once, but their bagels are the best I've ever had, and this copycat soup I found online is delicious!

Panera is owned by the same company who operates Paradise Bakery & Cafe in Utah. And, just an interesting sidenote, they have a few restaurants called "Panera Cares" where they serve food on a donation basis. They have been able to operate these restaurants and meet all expenses with this method. Some people donate more than necessary for their food, and those who can't afford it are always welcome to come and take what they need. It's a very intriguing concept!

In any case, this soup is amazing. :) I definitely suggest using fat-free half-and-half since there is a substantial amount of cheese and butter in the soup. It really doesn't make much difference in taste. I also suggest using sharp cheddar cheese, as listed, rather than a more mild version. Mild cheddar tends to get lost among other flavors, so I always like to use sharp cheddar in soups.

Recipe adapted from www.food.com

1 Tbsp. butter

1/2 medium chopped onion

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. flour

2 cups half-and-half (I use fat-free)

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 lb. frozen broccoli

1 c. carrot, shredded

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

salt and pepper

Saute onion in 1 Tbsp. butter and set aside. Melt 1/4 c. butter in a large pot. Add flour and whisk for 3-5 minutes until it is thick and bubbly. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half. Add the chicken stock. Stir well and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook broccoli according to directions on package (I use the microwave). Add broccoli, carrots, and onions to soup and simmer until all vegetables are soft. Add salt and pepper.

At this point the soup can be transferred to a blender and mixed to desired consistency. This is optional, but definitely helps picky kids swallow down those veggies! Return to heat and add cheese. Stir until melted throughout and stir in nutmeg.

Sweet Potato Rice and Bean Soup

This soup could also be called "pantry soup" because it's great for those days when you haven't been to the store in a while and need to use up your food storage. I originally got this recipe from here: I was looking for a recipe with sweet potatoes, rice, and beans, and this one had all three listed. It wasn't until I started making the soup that I realized that the sweet potatoes were just supposed to be a side dish!

However, I think the sweet potatoes are they key to this creamy and mellow tasting soup. They neutralize the acidity of the tomatoes and tomato sauce and lend a very mellow and delicious flavor.

Ingredients:

1 can red beans

1 can black beans

1-2 cups uncooked rice

1 can diced tomatoes

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 can (1 cup frozen) corn

1 can sweet potatoes (you can use fresh, but the canned ones worked nicely)

3 cloves smooshed garlic

2 T olive oil

salt and pepper

6 cups of water (add more as necessary)

Spices to taste (I used my own random concoction of chicken spice and Italian spice)

I just threw everything in the pot and added rice and water until it looked like a good consistency. I like my soups less "soupy" and more "meaty," so I added more rice and less water. It's pretty bland without the spices so I recommend a liberal dose of whatever spices you want.

And seriously, the sweet potatoes add a really nice mellow flavor. This is a great autumn or winter dish.

(And sorry, I didn't add a picture because it tastes much better than it looks!)

California Chowder

Yum, yum, yum, and packed full of veggies (for those who care about that...).

Originally from the Lion House Classics, via Sisters Cafe.

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Ingredients

4 T. butter

½ c. flour

½ T. chicken soup base (chicken bouillon)

1 c. heavy cream

2 c. whole milk

2 c. water

1 c. diced carrots

2 c. diced potatoes

1 c. diced celery

1 clove fresh minced garlic

½ T. salt

½ T. Worcestershire sauce

½ c. finely chopped onions

½ T. butter

1 c. fresh broccoli

1 c. fresh cauliflower

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Directions

Melt butter in a soup pot. Add flour and mix well. Add chicken base, then slowly and steadily mix in the cream, whole milk, and water. Bring to a low boil; then add carrots, potatoes, celery, garlic, salt, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for 30 - 45 minutes until veggies are just starting to soften. Sauté onions in butter for 3 minutes and add to soup along with broccoli and cauliflower. Cook another 15 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender (the vegetables give only a little resistance when pierced with a fork - mostly tender, but not mushy). Makes 6 servings as a side dish, more like 4 if serving as main dish.

Cream of Mango Soup

I bought some half-and-half on closeout at Kroger the other day and was looking for a recipe to use it in. We love mangoes, so this recipe caught my eye. It has a pretty mild, yet rich taste. It is best eaten very cold and with full-fat half-and-half, although I have used fat-free half-and-half and it still worked out fine. Recipe reviewers suggested omitting the sugar and adding in ginger for a more savory soup, although I haven't tried that option. It would be a nice appetizer for this dish.

Recipe Source: Allrecipes.com

2 mango-peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks

1/4 c. sugar

zest and juice of one lemon

1 1/2 cups half and half

Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Chill thoroughly before serving. Optional: Garnish with fresh strawberries or blueberries.