Cauliflower Soup with Parmesan Crisps

After missing out on the first wave of snow-mageddon last weekend, New York City finally felt the fury of Mother Nature today. A blizzard dumped six inches of snow on the street by early afternoon, and it hasn’t stopped yet.

Naturally with a storm outside, my thoughts turned to food (although let’s be honest — my thoughts always turn to food). To warm us up, Keith and I made cauliflower soup with parmesan crisps. The recipe is very simple, from Food Network’s Dave Lieberman. Because we’re on a student budget and didn’t want to buy both grated and shredded Parmesan, we used a recipe for Parmigiano Reggiano crisps from Whole Foods instead of the one with the soup recipe.

We didn’t have herbs to go with the crisps, so we mixed Italian seasoning in with the cheese and cayenne pepper — a budget-friendly alternative that does the trick (why are herbs so expensive anyway?). The crisps were really good, though keep in mind that a little cayenne goes a long way. We learned that the hard way. The soup was creamy and hearty without being rich.

Simple AND delicious? Sounds like a winning meal to me!

Cauliflower Soup with Parmesan Crisps

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Description

Recipe from Dave Lieberman and Whole Foods

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Ingredients

For the cauliflower soup

• 1 head cauliflower, chopped into small florets
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

For the parmesan crisps

• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasonings
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne

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Instructions

For the cauliflower soup

1. In a soup pot or large saucepan, saute the garlic and onions in olive oil until softened (but not browned). Add the cauliflower and stock and bring the soup to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat and let the soup simmer until the cauliflower is tender and falls apart, about 15 minutes.
3. If you have an immersion blender, puree the soup. (If using a regular blender, fill halfway with the hot soup and use a towel to hold down and cover the lid. Be careful!)
4. When the soup is pureed, put it back in the pot and stir in the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper and sip slowly to savor every last drop.

For the parmesan crisps

1. Preheat the oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with tin foil.
2. Mix the cheese and spices in a bowl.Spoon 2-3 teaspoons of the cheese mixture onto the baking sheet in a small pile, then flatten. Leave a 2-inch distance around each pile.
3. Bake at 300F for 8-10 minutes, until the crisps are slightly browned. Let them cool and crisp up before removing them from the sheet.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4