2cupscauliflower, about 2/3 lb, cut into small cubes
1 1/2teaspoonssea salt
1 1/2cupschicken stock, plus more to thin soup, as desired
1cupwhole milk
1/3cupcream
1/2teaspoonpepper
Fresh jalapeno or other chilies for garnish
Cilantro leaves, chopped for garnish
Instructions
Cut the cooked corn from the cob and set aside. (If using fresh, uncooked corn, simply cut from the cob and add a few minutes to the cooking time.) Break cobs in half and place in a large pot with 6 cups of filtered water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes to make the corn stock.
Fry bacon until crisp and drain on paper towels. Roast peppers, skin side up, under a broiler or on a hot grill until skin blisters and is blackened in spots. Remove from oven/grill and place peppers in a sealed plastic bag to cool--the steam in the bag will make it easier to remove the skin. Once the peppers cool enough to handle, remove the skin and chop.
Remove cobs from corn stock and pour into a large measuring cup -- the stock should reduce to 2-3 cups. Reserve any amount over 2 cups to thin the soup, as desired.
Add 3 tablespoons of the bacon grease to the large soup pot with the onions, celery, and garlic. Cook on medium heat until the edges of the onions begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the cauliflower, salt, and 2 cups of corn stock to the onions and celery. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.
While the cauliflower is simmering, puree 1 cup of the corn kernels in the chicken stock with an immersion blender or food processor until smooth. When the cauliflower is tender, use an immersion blender to blend part of the soup, or place 1 1/2 cups of the soup in a blender to blend until smooth. (This helps to thicken the soup.)
Add the pureed corn, whole corn kernels, 4 slices of the bacon (crumbled), milk, diced chilies, and black pepper. Simmer for 5-10 minutes to meld flavors (if the corn is raw, add 5 more minutes to this cooking time).
Stir in the cream and additional chicken or corn stock to thin the soup as desired. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve in bowls and garnish with jalapeno, cilantro, and bacon.
Notes
Like any soup, there are a number of ways to bring this soup together whether using fresh corn, leftovers, or frozen kernels.
Substitute chicken stock for the corn stock, if corn on the cob is not available. Also, you can prepare and freeze corn stock for later use. **
To make this recipe dairy-free: Omit the milk and cream. Increase the amount of cauliflower by 1 cup and chicken or corn stock by 1 1/2 cup. Simmer this cauliflower separately in the chicken or corn stock until very soft, then puree until smooth. The result will be a milky-white puree which will provide a creamy texture for the soup without adding milk or cream.