It’s finally soup weather after a long summer that started in April and has lasted through mid-October. So I grabbed my Instant Pot and was simply inspired just by the veggies I had handy.

INGREDIENTS

1 head cauliflower (broken into chunks)

2 poblano peppers (stem/seeds removed)

1 medium-sized sweet onion

1 leek stalk (white/light green parts)

2-3 cloves of garlic

3 fresh bay leaves (2 if dried)

4-5 fresh twigs of thyme (1 tsp if dried)

4-5 cups chicken stock (I used homemade)

½ cup crème fraiche (or cream cheese)

½ cup of half & half (or heavy cream)

4 strips of bacon

Grated cheddar, swiss or gruyere for topping

S&P to taste

TIME TO COOK

• Turn Instant Pot to sauté and cook bacon until crisp (keep an eye on it – it cooked up way faster than I thought it would)
• Remove bacon and set aside to use as crumbly topping later
• Cut poblanos, onion, leek and garlic into 1” chunks and sauté in the bacon fat until semi tender
• Pour in 4 cups chicken stock and deglaze the bottom with a wood spoon
• Add cauliflower – you may need to add more stock if it doesn’t cover all the veg
• Add thyme and bay leaves

Close the lid and set it on high pressure for 10 minutes. It will take a good 10-15 minutes to come to pressure. After the timer goes off let it decompress for 15 minutes and then do a quick release.

Remove the thyme twigs (leaves will have fallen off). Don’t worry about the bay leaves – they will blend right up.

Using an immersion blender blend until smooth.

Stir in the Crème Fraiche and half & half.

S&P to taste

Serve topped with grated cheese and bacon crumbles.

THE PERFECT BITE

I probably don’t even need to say this but the perfect bite would be to dip a piece of warm, crusty sourdough in the soup. Be sure to get some of the bacon and cheese toppings!

THE PERFECT HEALTH

Cruciferous vegetables, like cauliflower, are unique because they contain sulfur compounds called glucosinolates which, research shows, possess inflammation-reducing and cancer-fighting properties. Read more here.