Cauliflower & Daiya Cheese Soup



Even though summer is not officially over -- I think unofficially it's pretty well a done deal on the prairies here in Alberta.  So officially it's soup season full throttle ahead for me.   Nothing cheers up a crisp, fall-like day as much as a warm, tasty bowl of homemade soup.  I'm so glad I have the time to indulge in such things because omg the canned soups are tasting even less appealing than ever. My daughter was feeling like a classic bowl of campbell's tomato soup last week but unfortunately it was a huge letdown -- somebody changed the recipe and/or the ingredients and it's not good! She was a real trooper to even eat it -- I tasted a bit that was left in the pot and it was barely palatable! 

Well I was shopping at Wal-mart yesterday and believe it or not I got a head of cauliflower for $1! Talk about a bargain and since it's not a vegetable that's on the high pesticide list I thought it would be great to use as the basis for a huge pot of soup.  Anyhow back to my soup and the daiya cheese!  I picked up a small package from Earth's General Store (cheddar flavor) and I have to say it is a huge improvement over the italian blend flavor that I had ordered from Daiya last December.  I do love that you can grate it and store it in the freezer until needed. It is easy to use straight from the freezer.  And a little goes a long way -- I only used 1/2 cup for this soup and I thought that amount was just right. See how I freeze my cheese -- I don't want it touching the plastic container directly so I line it with eco-friendly wax paper. It might be over-kill but makes me feel better about storing it long term in plastic.

Ingredients

1 white onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 carrot, diced finely

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 russet potatoes, diced

1 head cauliflower

2 teaspoons veggie broth powder

2 teaspoons curry powder

2 teaspoons salt

4-6 cups water

2 tablespoons white rice flour (stoneground)

2 tablespoons organic peanut butter (Nativa)

2 cups original flavor soy milk (Natura)

1/2 cup grated daiya (cheddar flavor)

1/2 bag of frozen broccoli (optional)

 (steamed separately and stirred through last)

Directions:

Saute the first three ingredients in the olive oil until softened.  Add about 4 cups water initially -- add more while cooking if necessary. Add your potatoes, cauliflower and spices/salt.  When cooked to your satisfaction mix the next three ingredients together (flour/peanut butter/soy milk) and stir into your pot. Add the 1/2 cup grated cheese. Simmer your soup until it thickens and cheese is melted.  Add broccoli if you decide to use it -- I did as I was feeling the need for some greens but of course it's perfectly tasty without it.  Enjoy!