Isn't potato soup so dreamy? It's warm and filling and comforting and creamy. Of course, it also maneuvers itself right to your hips, but when it's snowing outside it's totally worth it. Or is it? I mean, it's totally worth an hour on the treadmill, but is it really worth two?
Well, look here. We've got potato soup but with about half the fat and calories! How? Well, the same secret I used with the buffalo poppers: cauliflower! (Do they sell stock in produce? Because this one's a keeper. I heard Warren Buffet is checking into it.) Cauliflower is a good filler and really doesn't take away from the potato-y taste that we all love. Bonus: I took the original recipe and made it ten times easier because 1) I'm not interested in spilling boiling-hot liquid all over myself while trying to coax the soup into a blender (and I'm just over the line of being uncoordinated enough that it is unavoidable), and 2) I would rather find a good short cut and get back to playing tea party with the little miss. The soup recipe turned out just as good using an immersion blender, which gives you the option to make it as creamy or chunky as you like depending on how long you run it for. Or, if you don't have an immersion blender (and I hope you do because it can be used for milkshakes, too!) then just use a potato masher. It will be chunkier , but when you're looking for a soup that will stick to your ribs, you'll want something to bite into.
Light and Creamy Potato Soup
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 cup chopped onion 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 5 garlic cloves, chopped 1 pound cubed peeled baking potato (about 2) 1 pound cubed Yukon gold potato (about 4) 5 cups vegetable stock 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 1 bay leaf 1 pound cauliflower, cut into florets (about 1/2 head) 1 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided Cooking spray 2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk 3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided 1 cup low fat sour cream 2 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 1/2 cup)
Preheat oven to 450°.
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, thyme, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes, vegetable stock, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until potatoes are very tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf.
While the potatoes simmer, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, cauliflower, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray; toss to coat. Roast at 450° for 30 minutes or until browned, turning once.
Pour the cauliflower into the dutch oven with the potatoes. Use an immersion blender to coarsely blend the cauliflower-potato mixture. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper (to taste), 1/2 cup green onions, and sour cream; stir until the sour cream melts. Ladle soup into 8 bowls. Top evenly with remaining green onions and cheese. If you aren't a vegetarian then you can also crumble cooked bacon on top.
Source: Adapted from Cooking Light, January 2013