Cauliflower Soup

So worth the effort...

Ingredients 1 to 2 heads of cauliflower
1 carrot
1 celery branch
1 onion
(8 tbsp) butter
30ml (2 tbsp) parsley
1L (4cups) chicken or vegetable broth
500ml (2cups) milk
(6 tbsp) flour
2 bay leaves
salt to taste
250ml (1 cup) crème fraîche

Preparation
1. Cut in half and get rid of hard inner core. Roughly chop the cauliflower.
2. Finely dice carrot.
3. Finely dice celery.
4. Finely dice onion.
5. Place a stock pot over medium heat and melt (4 tbsp) butter.
6. When butter is melted, add onion. Stir them around for 2-3 minutes until lightly colored.
7. Add carrots and celery and stir around for 1 minute.
8. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir well. Reduce to heat to low and cover. Let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring a few times.
9. Add broth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and let simmer.
10. While it's simmering, melt (4 tbsp) butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
11. In a separate bowl, pour milk, add flour and whisk.
12. As soon as the butter is melted, pour the milk mixture into the saucepan. Stir to combine and until it thickens.
13. Add 250ml (1 cup) half-and-half cream into the milk mixture and stir.
14. Pour milk mixture into the simmering soup and add 2 bay leaves.
15. Salt to taste.
16. Let soup simmer for 15-20 minutes.
17. In a soup tureen (or whatever serving bowl you will be using) place crème fraîche in bottom.
18. Add 2-3 ladles pf soup to crème fraîche and stir vigurously to get crème fraîche warmed up.
19. Pour in the rest of the soup and serve.

Makes 6 servings

Source: thepioneerwoman.com