This Creamy Cauliflower Soup is so rich and delicious! The fresh cauliflower flavor shines through. This soup is true comfort food!
Heat a 5-quart pot and add the olive oil and butter.
Add the onion and celery and sauté until almost translucent, stirring occasionally.
Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, garlic, and the cauliflower florets. Sauté for a minute.
Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir. The mixture will thicken and become paste-like. Just cook this a minute, stirring, to cook the raw taste out of the flour.
Stir in the broth very well and bring to a low simmer. Partially cover the pot and cook at a low simmer for about 15 minutes, until the cauliflower breaks apart easily with the spoon.
Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to puree the soup. If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer in batches to a blender or food processor to puree. Be careful of the hot contents! Then transfer pureed soup back to the pot.
Stir in the half and half and warm the soup back up.
Add the cheese and stir until melted. Take off of heat and serve immediately with some crusty bread.
Use any good melting cheese you like. We enjoy using smoked gouda.
You can also use Heavy Cream, Whole Milk, or Unsweetened Almond Milk.