Creamy Vegetable Soup

This cream of hidden veggie soup is possibly the healthiest you’ve ever tasted! Our parents taught us how to make creamy soups without using heavy cream, and we've never gone back. We’ve been making soups like this in our family for generations. The secret to making it velvety and creamy is potatoes!

What stands out

Potatoes can transform any soup into a beautiful and silky texture. In Bulgaria we are known for making some of the best soups, and it is a staple food for us. Soup has always been a part of our tradition and culture, and we rarely have a meal without it. This particular soup is made with six or more hidden vegetables which you would never know are in here!

How to Prepare Creamy Vegetable Soup

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté. Then add carrots, celery, and garlic and continue to sauté briefly. There’s no need to dice as everything will be puréed later.

Season with salt and pepper. Add cauliflower florets and potatoes. Pour in enough stock and water to cover the veggies and bring it to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low. Then, partially cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

When the soup is ready, you can use an immersion blender to purée until smooth. Alternatively, use a traditional blender to blend the veggies with the stock in batches for an even smoother texture.

If using a regular blender, return the creamy soup to the pot. Adjust seasoning by tasting for salt. Serve the soup, topping it with bacon bits and chives.

Kitchen tip

You can use an immersion blender, but we do find a regular blender gives the soup a smoother consistency.

Swaps

This creamy soup lends itself to a number of different options, whether to accommodate dietary preferences or maybe to use up some veggies you have in your fridge!

• For added protein, you could include some cubed ham or diced chicken.
• There are so many toppings that would work with this soup: chives, bacon bits, pumpkin seeds, and fresh herbs (like parsley or cilantro).
• This recipe could be made completely vegetarian or vegan if you make it with vegetable stock (or broth made with our vegetable stock cubes) and then also leave out the bacon bits that we used as a topping.
• Feel free to experiment with different broths (vegetable, chicken, mushroom or beef) or stocks for added flavor. You could even use bone broth.

Serve it with

• Bacon bits are optional at the end so feel free to leave them out or add any other toppings you enjoy. For example, you can bake your own croutons and drizzle some sour cream on top of the soup as well.
• Feel free to add fresh, finely chopped dill to this soup as it gives the soup flavor.
• Try the soup with one of our crusty no-knead breads. Our No-Knead Peasant Bread or No-Knead Focaccia Bread would be a fantastic option to serve with the soup.

Questions

What type of salt do you use?

We use mark Redmond Real Salt, please note that depending on the salt you use, your dish may be less or more salty. Salt is always to taste. Therefore, always taste and adjust as you cook.

What type of broth do you use?

Why are the Veggies chopped roughly and not finely?

Don’t stress about chopping the veggies roughly as all the veggies will get blended together regardless.

Can we leave out the bacon?

Bacon bits are optional at the end so feel free to leave them out or add any other toppings you enjoy.

Ingredients

Makes 3 servings

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery ribs
• 2 garlic cloves, quartered
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 5 cups cauliflower, small head
• 3 potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• chives + bacon bits for presentation are optional

Equipment

• Soup Pot
• Cutting Board
• Nakiri Knife
• Redmond Real Salt
• Blender

Method

1. In a big pot on the stove on medium high heat add olive oil and add the onions.
2. You do not need to dice anything finely because everything will be puréed at the end.
3. Add the carrots, celery, garlic and sauté for a few minutes.
4. Season with salt, pepper, and stir again. Add the cauliflower florets and potatoes.
5. Cover with enough stock and water and put just enough to cover the veggies. Let it come to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and partially cover it with a lid, let it cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until the veggies are soft.
6. Once the soup is done, you can use a stick blender to blend until smooth. You can also blend the veggies with the stock in batches in a blender if you don’t own an immersion blender.
7. If blending with a blender, pour the creamy soup back in to the pot and taste for salt. Serve with bacon bits and chives.