Well, we had our first snow of the season over the weekend and so now in addition to being on a holiday food cooking spree I am fully ensconced in winter food mode too. And that's not a bad thing, not if warm, nourishing dishes like this Creamy Cauliflower-Potato Soup are on the menu. Especially when there's not a lick of cream involved so that said soup is actually healthy for you as well! And easy to whip up! Hmmn...maybe I will be able to make it through the winter!!

Like this "Creamy" Creamless Root Vegetable Soup I posted a few weeks ago, the velvety smoothness of this soup comes from the pureeing of boiled potatoes which adds thickness without a lot of fat or calories. You can do it in a blender or food processor but it is SO, SO much easier to use a handheld immersion blender. And I'm thinking if you don't already own one, what with the holidays coming and all, well...you get my drift. Just sayin!

The soup is flavorful in that earthy, mellow cauliflowerish sort of way, but not at all boring, despite the fact that it's not the most interesting looking dish in the world. Topped with a handful of shredded Parmesan, which gets irresistibly, meltingly gooey in the hot liquid, every spoonful is a little bit of rich but guilt-free heaven! And in light of all the holiday decadence coming our way, that's a pretty good thing!

Creamy Cauliflower-Potato Soup

Makes about 8 servings

It really helps to have an immersion blender for this, but in any event you will need a regular blender or food processor.

Prep Time:  10 minutes; Cook Time:  45 minutes to 1 hour

Ingredients

• 2 large heads of cauliflower, trimmed of hard centers and cut into small florets
• 2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled (no need to cut up)
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Freshly shredded or grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

The Recipe

1.  Place all the ingredients except the Parmesan cheese in a large pot and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and allow to simmer until all the veggies are fork tender, about 45 minutes. Use an immersion blender to blend all the ingredients together right in the pot, being careful as you don't want to scald yourself with splattering soup. If you don't have a handheld one, you can also puree the soup in batches in a regular blender. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary and ladle into bowls. Top with handfuls of the Parmesan and serve.

2.  Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for several days.

Enjoy!

Note:  Recipe adapted from The Italian Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone. You can also do this in a slow cooker on low for 5-6 hours but it's so easy and quick to do on the stovetop that I prefer to do it that way.