⅕teaspooncayenne(or a few shakes Tabasco sauce, or 1 squirt Sriracha sauce, all optional)
1cupheavy cream or whole milk(or a combination of the two)
Freshly ground black pepper(to taste)
1 ½cupsgrated sharp or extra-sharp cheddar
Instructions
Fill a large pot with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and the cauliflower, cover, reduce the heat to medium-high, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until very tender. Drain and set the cauliflower aside.
Melt the butter in the same pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until tender but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, until the garlic starts to turn golden and becomes fragrant. Increase the heat to medium and whisk in the flour and dried thyme or nutmeg. Whisk for a couple of minutes, until the flour starts to color, then gradually whisk in the broth, Dijon, and whatever spicy ingredient you may be using. Bring to a simmer, and add the cooked cauliflower.
At this point, you can transfer it to a blender or food processor (in batches if necessary) and puree the soup, or better yet, use your immersion blender and puree until smooth right in the pot. Make it as smooth or chunky as you like. Return it to the pot if you transferred it out. Add the cream or milk and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Lower the heat, and gradually sprinkle in cheddar cheese and stir until the cheese is melted and everything is hot, but don’t allow it to come to a simmer, or it might separate. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Notes
Make sure to cook the cauliflower until it is very tender — you do not want al dente or crisp-tender cauliflower here; you want very tender cauliflower that will blend up smoothly.
Add the cheese gradually over low heat, or even off the heat, stirring as each handful of cheese is sprinkled in. This will prevent the soup from separating and becoming grainy. Cheddar melts well into the soup, but too-high heat can cause it to break down, so keep the heat very low at the end.
You can also transfer the soup to a food processor or blender and purée it in batches. Don’t fill the food processor or blender too full. Stop at half full, or the hot liquid could pop the top off the machine and splash out.
You can puree the soup until quite smooth, or leave it kind of nubby in texture.
A sprinkle of chopped crispy bacon on top would also be great, though obviously not vegetarian!
You can make the soup up to 2 days ahead; just make sure to reheat it gently over low heat.