Cauliflower Cheese Soup
This soup is easy and delicious. I make it for our family reunion and it is always a hit.
This soup is easy and delicious. I make it for our family reunion and it is always a hit.
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 cups milk
- 1/4 cup onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter or margerine
- 1/2 cup carrots shredded
- 2 10.75-oz can cream of potato soup undiluted
- 1 7-oz can corn whole kernel, drained
- 2 cups cauliflower fresh or frozen florets, cooked just until tender
- 1 cup( 4 oz.) cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup provolone or mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper black
- Carbohydrate 20.0522838541667 g
- Cholesterol 44.185 mg
- Fat 15.7463864583333 g
- Fiber 2.53613022639354 g
- Protein 11.5054953125 g
- Saturated Fat 9.58151304166667 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (243g)
- Sodium 911.290083333333 mg
- Sugar 17.5161536277731 g
- Trans Fat 0.949680958333333 g
- Calories 261 calories
Step-by-step
- In a saucepan, heat first four (4) ingredients until carrots are tender.
- Stir in soup, milk, corn and cauliflower. Heat through.
- Just before serving, stir in the cheeses and pepper. Serve immediately.
Managing the Dairy Base
Why is the cheese separating into an oily film instead of blending smoothly into the liquid? Adding shredded cheddar and provolone directly to a rolling boil causes the milk solids to break down and the fats to separate. Remove the saucepan from the heat source entirely before stirring in the dairy. Residual heat from the milk, potato soup, and cooked vegetables provides adequate thermal energy to melt the cheese without destabilizing the emulsion.
Controlling Vegetable Moisture
Excess water ruins the thick consistency expected from a puréed vegetable base. Fresh or frozen cauliflower florets must be drained thoroughly after steaming to prevent diluting the milk and canned soup mixture. Simmering the chopped onion and shredded carrots in just a quarter cup of water allows the liquid to evaporate completely by the time the vegetables soften, ensuring concentrated flavor without excess dilution.
Assessing Doneness Visually
Checking texture requires observing how the ingredients interact rather than relying on internal thermometers. Shredded carrots reach proper tenderness when a piece yields easily under the flat edge of a wooden spoon without crumbling into mush. Incorporate the black pepper and cheeses at the final stage, serving the mixture immediately once the cheese melts completely into a uniform suspension.
