Creamy Garlic Cauliflower Soup (Whole30 Compliant–Minus the Goat Cheese Garnish)

Today it dropped below 90 degrees!  Heck, at one point today it dropped below 70.  I decided (shocking, I know) to make some soup.  Cauliflower has become a staple in our house. I can pretty much guarantee that in the last month, I have purchased (and cooked with) cauliflower more times than in the history of my cooking life…which is…25 years, give or take.  Cauliflower has the potential to make a soup creamier than any amount of heavy cream, whole milk, or coconut milk–and it takes on the taste of whatever it’s cooked with.

When I make this again, my “garnish” it going to take up the entire top of the bowl.  Seriously, when you get a bite with the cauliflower, the beef, the crispy bacon, and the goat cheese crumbles all at the same time, it is like a party in your mouth!  The goat cheese adds a whole extra level of depth to the taste.  Of course if you’re Whole30, the goat cheese crumbles are off limits…but everything else is fair game!

Creamy Garlic Cauliflower Soup (Whole30 Compliant)

Serves 4-6

1 pound beef stew meat

1 Tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

6 C + 1C water

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp Kerrygold butter (or you can use 2 Tbsp of olive oil instead of splitting the fats)

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

salt and pepper to taste

1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets

goat cheese (garnish)

4 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled (garnish)

 

1.- Toss beef stew meat with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder in a resealable plastic bag.  Heat coconut oil over medium-high heat in stock pot.

2.- When pot is hot, add beef and brown.  Add 6 C of water and bring to boil.  Cover and let simmer on medium-low for 2 hours.  After 2 hours, remove the beef to a bowl and set aside.  Strain the liquid and reserve 5 C for later.

3.- In large pot, heat olive oil and butter over medium-low heat.  Add onions and a pinch of salt.  Cook until tender (10-12 minutes).  Add garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.

4.- Add cauliflower and 1 C of reserved broth from the beef.  Cover and simmer until cauliflower is fork-tender (10-15 minutes).  Uncover, add remaining 4 C of reserved broth, and bring to boil.  Remove from heat and puree either with an immersion blender or in a regular blender until creamy.

5.- Add beef to the pureed soup and warm through over medium-low heat.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve, garnished with crumbled bacon and goat cheese (as an aside: if I had any green onions, fresh chives, or dill left, I would have added that to the garnish load as well!)