I love homemade soups in general. They tend to be quick, versatile, and nutritious.  Soups help me economize both time and leftovers. Some can be thrown together quickly when crunched for time, others can be simmered in a slow cooker to be ready and waiting at the end of a long hard day. I do have a few soup recipes requiring quite a bit of prep, and not for the faint of heart cook…. like my Hot & Sour Soup. I like to freeze leftover soups, which provide a quick solution on those days when things don’t go as planned, or I suddenly find myself with a house full of unexpected guests (usually hungry teenage boys).  Today I was in the mood for soup, but we’re having unseasonable, record-setting 85 degree weather. I’m still in winter food mode, and having a difficult time switching culinary gears.  It’s simply too warm for something like my Fire Roasted Tomato and Wild Rice Soup, and Chilled Avocado Soup is just all wrong for March.

My BLT Soup recipe, with its light potato soup base and fresh raw veggies,  is perfect for transitioning seasons. This recipe was inspired by a similar soup I had in a restaurant years ago.  I did find a few BLT soup recipes online, but not like the one I ate all those years ago.  After some tinkering this is what I ended up with.

BLT Soup
4 or 5 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
2 Tablespoons flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 heaping tablespoon corn starch
Salt & Pepper

BLT Toppings
Crumbled bacon
Shredded lettuce, or other greens
Chopped Tomatoes
Croutons (Zesty Tomato Garlic Croutons recommended)

If you make your croutons and bacon ahead of time, this soup can be relatively quick to put together.  Here’s my bacon technique (I get some really great bacon made from organic pastured pork, and no added nitrates). I cut the bacon into pieces using my kitchen shears, and then toss it in the pan to cook. I try to keep a jar of crumbled bacon on hand in the refrigerator as a quick salad topping.

See my earlier post for making Zesty Tomato Garlic Croutons …. or use store-bought if you prefer.

Melt butter and olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add diced potatoes and cook until tender.  Don’t worry about the potatoes sticking to the bottom of the pan a little.   Once the potatoes are tender, add flour and stir until all oil and moisture is absorbed.  Next add the chicken broth and stir until the broth starts to heat up.  Mix the heaping tablespoon of corn starch with 2 or 3 tablespoons of water, and add to the broth.  Continue to stir until the soup thickens. Salt and pepper to taste.

This is one of those soups that does not have to be served piping hot.  In fact, I like to wait for it to cool a little before I assemble my bowls.

Assemble by ladling soup into bowls and then topping with bacon, lettuce, tomato, and croutons.

Sometimes,  I simply don’t understand my guys!  I’ve been cursed with a couple of picky eaters … and a few food allergies to boot. My husband and oldest son are all about meat and potatoes, and it’s difficult to get them to eat their veggies.  My husband is allergic to celery, raspberries, cantaloupe, grapefruit, and lemon among other things.  My oldest son is allergic to a bunch of fruits and some veggies. My youngest son’s food preferences seem to change on an almost daily basis.  One day a meal I fix will be his favorite, and the next day he’s chiding me for forgetting that he doesn’t like it.

Will someone explain to me why both my sons like Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, sour kraut, Reuben Sandwiches, and spinach? I’m so confused!  Fixing a meal that the entire household agrees upon can be a bit of a challenge, so now you understand one of the reasons I spend so much time experimenting in my kitchen. This soup recipe is the result of some of my tinkering when the boys were small.  Sometimes I serve it with BLT sandwiches, but most of the time they just want it with the bacon added directly to the soup. My youngest tells me the soup is awesome, but adding bacon makes is double awesome. Whatever!  I’m just glad they like it.

A little tip on cooking milk based recipes … to prevent scorching, a large double boiler comes in very handy.  I have a commercial grade 1 1/2 gallon stainless steel double boiler that has been worth every single penny I paid for it. If you don’t have a large double boiler, be sure to keep your temperature low and stir frequently.

Bacon Cauliflower Cheddar Soup
1 head cauliflower, cooked, drained, and trimmed to bite sized pieces
6 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup flour
5 1/2 cups milk
12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (or more to suit your preference)
Salt to taste
Bacon, cooked and crumbled

Make a standard white roux by melting the butter in your pot, adding the flour, and cooking for approximately 3 minutes so you won’t taste raw flour. Next, add the milk to the roux and stir with a whisk until thoroughly blended.  Seriously… use a whisk, not a spoon. You’ll end up with a smooth, lump free sauce every time.  Slowly heat the milk mixture until it thickens.

In a regular pot you would need to stir constantly to keep your mixture smooth, and to prevent scorching. The beauty of using a double boiler is that you can actually walk away from the pot for a minute or two.  I’m able to work on other kitchen tasks while waiting for my milk to thicken, stopping to stir every couple of minutes.

Once the milk has thickened, add shredded cheddar cheese and stir until it has completely melted into the thickened milk.  Stir in cauliflower pieces. Add cayenne and salt to taste.

Ladle soup into bowls and serve topped with crumbled bacon.