Simple Mushroom Bisque

Cauliflower adds a soft and silky texture to this mushroom soup.  It almost seems like there is heavy cream in this one, but no dairy at all! I'd even go as far to say that this soup is low calorie too, which may just be a good idea as Summer shorts and swim suits are in our future.

 There's something very satisfying about this soup. I made a large pot of this one rainy night and used the leftovers for lunches.  Enjoy!

Makes about 6-8 cups
Ingredients

3 Tbsp olive oil (or butter)
1/2 large onion, chopped, about 1 cup
1/2 cup celery chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped 
2 lbs of mushrooms
1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped
1/2 carrot, chopped (optional)
8 cups vegetable (or chicken) stock
Dash of hot sauce (if desired)
Salt & Pepper

Saute the onions, celery and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for about4-5 minutes.  Add in the mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked and starting to brown on the edges.  Add the cauliflower and 6 cups of the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes.

Let cool a couple of minutes and add to a blender.  Blend until smooth.  You may have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your blender.  Be sure to process until quite smooth.  Add a bit of salt and pepper to taste, and a dash of hot sauce, if desired. If needed, add the additional stock (remaining 2 cups) to thin the soup to the consistency you want, I like my mushroom soup on the thin side.

Note, be sure to cover the blender lid with a kitchen towel as sometimes hot liquids can expand when you start to blend.

Below is a photo of the cauliflower, I put the unused cauliflower into a bowl, ready to use for a quick vegetable side dish later in the week.

Sauteing the veggies.

The broth is added and simmering to cook the cauliflower.