Leek Cauliflower Soup With Bacon Croutons Food

CAULIFLOWER AND BACON SOUP

Steps:

• Heat large pot or dutch oven on medium heat, then add bacon to the pan and cook for a few minutes, stirring regularly, until bacon is crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Leave the bacon grease in the pot.
• Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is soft and translucent.
• Add potato, cauliflower and stock to the pot. Cover pot partially, bring to boil then turn down to simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked.
• Add 3/4 of the bacon bits to the pot (reserving the rest for serving). Puree the soup using either a stick blender or food processor and process until smooth.
• Return soup to pot and place on medium heat. If the soup is too thick, add some more stock. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until soup is heated through.
• Remove from heat, season the soup to taste salt and mix cream through.
• Serve immediately, garnished with the remaining bacon bits, some sprinkled black pepper, shredded cheese and crusty bread, if desired.

CAULIFLOWER AND LEEK SOUP WITH CRISPY BACON

Steps:

• In large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add leeks, garlic and shallot. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until leeks and shallot are softened but not browned. Add cauliflower, broth and herbes de Provence. Cover; cook until cauliflower is tender, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels; set aside.
• Remove soup from heat; using blender or handheld immersion blender, puree soup until smooth. If using regular blender, return soup to saucepan. If using immersion blender, return saucepan to heat. Add salt, pepper and butter. Cook over low heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted and soup is hot.
• To serve, ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with bacon.

SWEET POTATO-PARSNIP SOUP WITH BACON CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine 5 tablespoons olive oil, the onion, leeks, 2 teaspoons thyme, a big pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large pot or Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, about 10 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, parsnips, chicken broth, 3 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt and the cayenne. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes and parsnips are tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring, until browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the bacon and drippings to a large bowl.
• Add the bread, cheese and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the bacon and drippings. Season with salt and pepper and toss, then spread out on the prepared baking sheet. Bake, tossing once or twice, until toasted and the cheese is melted, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth (or puree in batches in a regular blender). Season with salt and more cayenne to taste. Thin with water as needed. Divide the soup among bowls. Top with a swirl of creme fraiche, the croutons and the remaining 2 teaspoons thyme.

LEEK & CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH BACON CROUTONS

Steps:

• 1. Heat the oil with the butter in a saucepan and gently fry the leeks and cauliflower for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Add the onion, stock and chopped rosemary, and heat until simmering. Cover and cook gently for 15 minutes until all the vegetables are tender. 2. Heat a dry frying pan, add the ciabatta and heat until the bread is lightly browned. Tip out onto a plate. Add the bacon to the pan and cook until crisped. Return the ciabatta to the pan with the rosemary sprigs and heat through for a couple of minutes. 3. Use a food processor to purée the soup, then add half the crème fraîche, plenty of black pepper and heat through. Transfer to soup bowls, swirl in the remaining crème fraîche and scatter with the crouton mix, discarding the rosemary sprigs. Cook's tip When preparing cauliflower, don't waste the leaves. Choose any unblemished ones, chop or leave them whole, and keep them for roasting or stir frying. They will add plenty of crunch and flavour.

POTATO-LEEK SOUP WITH BACON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Make the croutons: Melt 1 tablespoon butter, then mix with the paprika in a bowl. Add the bread cubes and toss. Spread on a baking sheet and bake until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Discard all but about 1 tablespoon fat from the pan. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, then add the leeks and garlic; cover and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, 2 cups water, the potatoes and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Puree half the soup in a blender (remove the filler cap to let steam escape), then return to the pot. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Add the peas and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with the croutons, bacon and parsley.

COLD CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH BACON AND CROUTONS

Steps:

• For the croutons: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle the thyme on top and season with the salt and pepper if using. Toss until coated. Bake until golden and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• For the bacon: On another baking sheet, arrange the bacon in a single layer. Bake until browned and crisp, 15 to 17 minutes. Drain on paper towels. When cool enough to handle, chop into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside.
• For the soup: In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the celery, shallots, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Stir in the chicken broth, thyme and cauliflower. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
• In batches, puree the soup in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cool the soup to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 2 hours.
• Ladle the chilled soup into bowls and garnish with the croutons and bacon.
• Cook's Note: The soup can also be blended using an immersion blender.

CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH BLUE CHEESE

Steps:

• Saute the garlic and leek in butter until translucent.
• Pour in vegetable broth; add cauliflower florets.
• Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until cauliflower is crisp-tender.
• Transfer 1 cup of broth to bowl; whisk in cornstarch or potato starch flour to make a slurry; set aside.
• Using an immersion blender, puree the soup in the pot until creamy.
• Whisk the slurry into the pot and heat; fold in blue cheese and parsley.
• Simmer for an additional 5 - 10 minutes.
• Garnish with bacon crumbles and additional blue cheese to serve.

CAULIFLOWER AND BACON SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large pot, add leek and bacon, cook stirring until soft. Add cauliflower, cook, stirring 2 minutes.
• Stir in water and crunbled stock cubes. Simmer covered about 15 minutes or until soft.
• Blend cauliflower until smooth using either a stick mixer or a food processor.
• Return to pan, stir in cream.
• Heat extra butter in a pan, add extra bacon, cook, stirring until crisp, drain on paper.
• Serve soup in bowls sprinkled with extra bacon and chopped parsley.

LEEK AND POTATO SOUP W/ CROUTONS

Steps:

• Cut leeks in half lengthwise and slice into 1/2-inch pieces. Place leeks in a colander. Separate sliced leeks under cold running water and clean them. Drain well.
• Heat a medium soup pot over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, bay leaf and leeks. Season with salt and pepper. Peel potatoes and thinly slice them, adding them to soup pot as you go. Season potatoes with a little salt, add chicken stock (and water if you're using it) to soup pot. Cover soup and bring to a boil. Uncover and simmer 12 to 15 minutes, until potatoes are very tender. Break up potatoes to slightly thicken soup. Remove bay leaf.
• While soup simmers, rub the inside of a large mixing bowl with the cracked garlic. Slice the bread into small cubes. Add the bread to the bowl, drizzle generously with olive oil, and season well with salt and pepper. Toss the bread in the bowl to completely coat with oil, and pour onto a baking sheet in 1 layer. Place in the oven and toast until golden, about 6 or 8 minutes.
• While croutons bake, cut slab bacon into 1/4-inch slices, making fat matchstick shapes (or regular sliced bacon, cut into quarter inch pieces.) Cook bacon in small nonstick pan over medium high heat. Remove rendered bacon to paper towels.
• To serve soup, ladle into bowls and top with bacon, croutons, chives and cracked pepper. Serve with crusty bread on the side.