Hearty Cauliflower Bisque With Kale

Name: Hearty Cauliflower Bisque With Kale
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1 head cauliflower; 2 -3 small waxy potatoes (redskins or yukon gold); 1 medium onion, diced; 1 quart chicken broth (I like pacific brand) or 1 quart vegetable broth (I like pacific brand); 2 tablespoons butter or 2 tablespoons margarine; 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 1/2 teaspoons dried tarragon; 1 bay leaf; 1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder (optional) or 1 teaspoon brewer's yeast (optional); salt and pepper; 16 ounces cottage cheese; 2/3 cup half-and-half (optional); 1 bunch of dinosaur kale

Submitted by vitaminz

"A creamy white soup with a secret ingredient blended in: cottage cheese! Lots of protein, vitamins and fiber, lower on the fat, but you'd never know. A final touch of tender steamed kale adds beauty and rich flavor."

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Ready In:: 40mins
Ingredients:: 13
Serves:: 4

ingredients

1 head cauliflower
2 -3 small waxy potatoes (redskins or yukon gold)
1 medium onion, diced
1 quart chicken broth (I like pacific brand) or 1 quart vegetable broth (I like pacific brand)
2 tablespoons butter or 2 tablespoons margarine
¹⁄₂ teaspoon dried thyme
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons dried tarragon
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder (optional) or 1 teaspoon brewer's yeast (optional)
salt and pepper
16 ounces cottage cheese
²⁄₃ cup half-and-half (optional)
1 bunch of dinosaur kale

directions

In a soup pot, saute the diced onion in butter or margarine until translucent and starting to brown.
Add thyme, tarragon, and bay leaf and saute for another minute. (If you can't live without garlic, add some here.).
Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. While that's heating up, peel and dice the potatoes.
Add potatoes and boil for about five minutes. Meanwhile, chop up the cauliflower into small pieces.
Add the cauliflower to the pot and add salt and pepper. Turn the soup down to a medium boil and cook until the cauliflower and potatoes are very very tender. (How long that takes depends on how small you chopped them -- I would recommend chopping pretty small pieces so that it's easier to blend).
Meanwhile, rinse the kale, cut out the stalks, and cut cross-wise into thin ribbons. Bring a half-inch of water to a boil in a frying pan, salt the kale, and add it to the boiling water to steam until tender.
When the soup veggies are soft, stir in the cottage cheese and the bullion powder if using.
Blend it all up in the pot with an immersion blender. (You could also transfer the soup to the blender in batches, but don't blend too much at a time or hot soup will explode all over!) I like this soup smooth, but not super-smooth. It's up to you how chunky or smooth you like it.
Add half&half, adjust salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls and add a big spoonful of steamed kale on top.