Sunday's Soup/Cauliflower, Leek and Sage Soup

It is a gorgeous fall day here in Chicago! Yesterday marked our 12th week anniversary since Berkley came to live with us, so today, we took he and Gracie to my favorite nature preserve for a lovely hike in the woods. What a joy this little dog has been. He has added love, laughter(us laughing, not him), and enough mischief to make it all the more fun. Some of you will think I'm crazy, but hear me out...

From the beginning, Berkley has stood up on his hind legs with his front feet up in the air whenever he is excited. Without thinking, each and every time, I have said, "Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!" My husband said, "I think he is saying, Hallelujah! Praise the Lord...I live with Rhonda now!!!" Believe it or not, I have actually taught the dog to stand on his hind feet and put his front feet in the air on command. I raise my hands up, and then say, "Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!," and little Mr. Berkley follows suit. I'll have to get a video made to prove it. For those of you who may feel it a bit sacrilegious, I apologize, but it really is quite sweet :)

Since I began sharing soup recipes, we have had MANY versions of Cauliflower Soup of some sort. You can find them all HERE. In the link, you will also see links to my cauliflower wraps, as well as my mac and cheese with roasted cauliflower. That's a Christmas Eve favorite! Cauliflower is such a versatile vegetable.

We all love dishes with fabulous flavor, and we also like to be able to present our families with wholesome food. The soup I am sharing today is really quite basic, but so versatile. In fact, this evening, I am mixing a little soup in with some leftover Lentil Nut Loaf that I have crumbled, and will pour over egg noodles. A great way to stretch out an item that isn't quite enough for more than 1. 

This cauliflower soup is full of leeks. I love leeks! Begin with 6 cups of chopped leeks, the white part only. Saute the chopped leeks in oil until tender, and then add 3 chopped cloves of garlic, along with 1 tablespoon of celery seed. I could have used celery in the recipe, but I love the full, rich flavor of celery seed. 

Once the leeks are tender, add 2 heads of chopped cauliflower to the pot. Add 8 cups of vegetable broth, and bring to a boil. Cook until the cauliflower is tender and begins to fall apart.

Another favorite of mine is sage. Sage just tastes like fall to me, and there's nothing like fresh sage. For this recipe, I used 3 tablespoons of fresh, chopped sage.

At this point, you are ready to puree the soup. I like to use a handheld mixing wand, but a blender will work well too. Once the soup has been pureed, add more vegetable broth to bring the soup to desired consistency. Add salt and plenty of black pepper to taste. Simmer the soup until it is warmed through.

I didn't do this before I took the picture, but a lovely touch for your soup is to fry a few sage leaves as a topping. Simply add a bit of oil to a small pan. Place the sage leaves in the hot oil for about 5 seconds per side. I could eat an entire bowl full of fried sage! Garnish the soup with the fried sage leaves.

Cauliflower, Leek and Sage Soup

ingredients;
2 large head of cauliflower broken into florets
6 cups chopped leeks
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 bunch fresh sage
1 tablespoon celery seed
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste
12 cups vegetable broth

directions;
Heat oil in large soup pot. Add chopped leeks and saute on medium heat until tender. Add chopped garlic. Saute another minute to release flavor, but not burn the garlic. Add celery seed, along with the cauliflower and 8 cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is tender and beginning to fall apart.

Puree soup until creamy. Add 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh sage. Adjust the consistency of the soup. Bring the soup to a boil once again, reduce heat and simmer until heated through.

To serve, fry fresh sage leaves in a small amount of olive oil, 5 seconds on each side. Place soup in bowls, top with fried sage and enjoy!

This recipe makes a very large quantity of soup. Freeze smaller batches to use in any dish where a cream soup is called for, or just to enjoy at another time. 

This past week, I warmed up a bowl of the soup and made a grilled cheese sandwich for my lunch. That and a cup of tea...HEAVEN!

Hope you enjoy the soup!

Rhonda