Potato, Cauliflower and White Bean Soup

 The simplest of all recipes really!

INGREDIENTS (round 1)

1 lb potatoes

1 lb cauliflower

2 cans white bean (15.5 oz)

3.5 c vegetable broth

2 tbsp dry white wine

3 tbsp unsalted butter

1 small yellow onion (minced)

3 cloves of garlic (minced)

1 tsp (heaping) fresh Thyme leaves

.5 tsp black pepper (freshly ground, of course)

kosher salt to taste

Saute garlic and onions in butter for about a minute, then add rest of ingredients and bring to a boil.  Boil on medium heat for about 20 minutes, then down to a simmer for an hour covered.  Remove from heat and let sit about 5 minutes then puree contents in a blender, and return to pot.

INGREDIENTS (round 2)

8 oz sour cream

1 tsp fresh lemon juice (1/2 a lemon)

1 tsp (heaping) fresh chives (chopped)

Stir in the sour cream, followed by the lemon juice and chives.

Voila!  Great for a vegetarian, but I could easily see garnishing it with bacon (diced).  I simply swirled in a little more sour cream and a sprig of chive.  Worked well for me.  This is adapted from a recipe recently published in the NYTimes, my cooking Bible.