Creamy Cauliflower and Artichoke Soup (no cream added)

This soup is super creamy and delicious. The artichoke gives it its rich and particular taste and the cauliflower helps us to give it the creaminess that we are looking for without adding potatoes or heavy creams. When serving you can add all kinds of toppings, this will depend on the type of diet that you follow. Since I didn't have broth and I used water, I left the soup cooking for longer before blending it to concentrate the flavors a little bit more.

I served it with some cheesy toasted bread and crispy bacon bits. If you prefer a vegan dinner you can add toasted sunflower seeds, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, fresh pepper and if you have guests and want to show off your culinary skills, you can make crispy capers. For this I recommend you drain the capers, then pat dry with paper towels and sauté in oil in medium heat, tossing constantly, until the capers get a little bit of color. Let the capers cool down a little before serving. Tell me what toppings you used for this soup!

Servings: about 8 cups Prep time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 35 minutes or so

Ingredients:

½ onion, diced

1 leek, sliced

2 white carrots, sliced

3 celery sticks, sliced

3 heads of garlic, smashed

½ bag of frozen artichoke hearts (6 oz) or one can

1 small/medium head of cauliflower, diced

Few tablespoons of oil or butter

Toppings:

your favorite cheese, a squeeze of lemon, fresh herbs, seeds, toasted bread, bacon bits, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, nuts, crispy capers, crispy artichoke hearts.

Preparation:

1. In a pot sauté all the vegetables with the oil

2. As I was chopping, I was adding them to the pot, cutting them in order as they are listed in the ingredients list

3. Add a little salt

4. Stir while sautéing

5. Cover the vegetables with the broth or water

6. Simmer over medium heat until all the vegetables are tender

7. The perfect temperature is when there are few bubbles coming out of the liquid and it is not boiling

8. When the vegetables are soft and you are ready to blend, turn off the heat

9. Let it sit for a bit, so it is not so hot when blending

10. Blend the soup, until you get a creamy texture

11. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste

Tips:

The amount of salt will depend on the type of broth you use, so I always recommend adding a little at a time and correcting at the end of the preparation.

If you want to make this soup with a little protein you can add cooked white beans when blending. I recommend white beans so the flavor is more subtle and does not change the final color of the soup.