Hey, fall. You’re here! It’s been such crappy weather the last few days. Cold and rainy, they’re the kind of days that make me want to sit on the couch and eat a lot of bread. I did allow myself that one night, but then the next day came and I made myself dance the cobwebs away and eat a more balanced meal. Enter, this chicken and cauliflower soup.
Oh, hey, look at me! I’m in all the spoons. #Foodbloggerproblems
Anyway, Mom used to make this chicken cauliflower soup pretty regularly when we were little kids, and there’s nothing really that special about it. It’s a good, old-fashioned, good-for-you, low pressure chicken and vegetable soup, but adding a bit of cauliflower and a pinch of one of my favorite red spices, it’s the perfect way to twist up that classic, and to create a whole new one.
You’ve actually seen a version of this before; I made it a few years ago after coming home from cold and rainy Iceland, chicken omitted and ingredients pureed. Onions and carrots start things off. A whole chicken lends its flavor, cauliflower its bulk and paprika its color.
A sprinkle of green to finish it off.
And a bit of bread to dip, just in case.
So, if you’re sitting around this fall, or even winter, and find yourself eating your winter blues away in the form of bread, consider making this as an accompaniment. Because, balance.
Written during some baseball watching.
Chicken and Cauliflower Soup
Chicken and cauliflower soup is the perfect winter warm up- a whole chicken is boiled with veggies and Hungarian paprika.
Ingredients
- 1 whole roasting chicken (4-5 pounds)
- 1 TB unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 large carrot, diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 tsp Hungarian paprika
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 1/2 pounds cauliflower, cleaned and chopped into medium bits
- 6 cups water
- Parsley to garnish
- Bread to serve
Directions
- Step 1 In a large stock pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the salt, pepper and paprika. Give it a stir.
- Step 2 Add the whole chicken, and cover with water (about 6 cups, but you may need a bit more). Bring to a boil and then let simmer, half covered about 1 hour, until the chicken falls apart easily with a fork.
- Step 3 Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Add the cauliflower, cover the pot and let cook about 15 minutes until the cauliflower is tender and cooked.
- Step 4 Meanwhile, debone the chicken, and chop the chicken into chunks. Add the cut chicken back to the pot. Serve with a garnish of parsley and serve with some good, hearty bread.
