Turkey Tuesday: Roasted Cauliflower White Cheddar Soup with Turkey

Bring on the soups, chowders, chili, and comfort foods now that it’s October! I’ve already made soup for the past two Sunday night suppers, including this delicious Roasted Cauliflower White Cheddar Soup with Turkey. It’s thick and creamy and almost more of a chowder than soup. I also feel like you could do some add-ins like bacon and even corn to switch it up.

Teacher Man was a little concerned over the amount of cauliflower I was roasting but his final taste-test eased his worries – he gave it a thumb’s up. And because some of the cauliflower is pureed in a blender, the soup has a really nice mix of flavors and textures. 

My family really loves to have some protein in a meal like this and turkey was the perfect addition. I used this JENNIE-O® Turkey Breast Tenderloin product. It comes in a pack with two tenderloins for a total of 24 ounces of turkey. I baked both tenderloins in the oven ahead of time (it takes about an hour), cooled them slightly, cubed them, and stored them in the refrigerator until I made the soup. (I used about 16 ounces of turkey total – just a little over one tenderloin.)  You could also easily throw in leftover turkey breast if you have that on hand.

I will definitely be adding this to my regular recipe arsenal … and I hope you give it a try too! Remember – any day is a great day to #tryturkey!

xoxo – Lara

Note – I am not compensated to be a part of Jennie-O’s Switch Circle except for the occasional complimentary turkey products to try. Opinions are my own.

Roasted Cauliflower White Cheddar Soup with Turkey

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Ingredients

  

• 1 large head cauliflower 2 - 2 1/2 lb, cored and chopped into small, bite size pieces
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 3 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 3 cups milk
• 1 14 oz can low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp dried parsley or 1 Tbsp chopped fresh
• 1/4 tsp slightly heaping dried thyme or 1 tsp chopped fresh
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp granulated sugar
• 16 oz. of JENNIE-O® Turkey Breast Tenderloin cooked and cubed
• 4 oz shredded sharp white cheddar cheese shredded (1 cup), plus more for serving if desired
• 1 oz finely grated parmesan cheese slightly packed 1/4 cup

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Place cauliflower on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and toss to evenly coat, then spread into an even layer and season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
• In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat.
• Add in onion and saute until tender, about 4 - 5 minutes.
• Add in flour and cook, stirring constantly 1 1/2 minutes, adding in garlic during last 30 seconds of cooking.
• While whisking, slowly pour in milk followed by chicken broth and cream.
• Add in parsley, thyme, bay leaf, sugar, roasted cauliflower and season soup with salt and pepper to taste.
• Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce heat to low. Puree 3 cups of the soup in a blender (being careful as your working with hot liquids) and return to soup in pot.
• Add the cooked, cubed turkey and keep the soup on low for 2-3 minutes until the turkey is heated through.
• Remove from heat and stir in sharp white cheddar and parmesan cheese.
• Serve warm garnished with additional shredded white cheddar and serve with fresh crusty bread if desired.

Notes

Fun add-ins: Bacon (cooked and roughly chopped) or sweet corn (thawed, if frozen).

Adapted from Cooking Classy

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