Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

Elijah turns two. March 28th. My baby is TWO. The pandemic baby, the parking-lot-cry baby, the orange-food baby, the Nana baby, the MINE baby, the ceiling-fan baby — he's two. Two years of a person who arrived during the strangest time and made it the best time because babies don't care about pandemics. Babies care about milk and hands and the word "more" and the color orange and the face of a man on a phone who says "hey, baby" every morning. Elijah is two and he is the most joyful, stubborn, orange-insistent person I've ever created, and I've created three.

The birthday party: small, apartment, family. Terrence drove up. The cake was — I'll let you guess — orange. An orange cake. Not just orange-themed: an actual orange-flavored cake with orange frosting and orange sprinkles because the birthday boy's color mandate extends to his own birthday cake and I have learned not to fight the Orange Rule because the Orange Rule is law and the law is Elijah and Elijah is two and two-year-olds are tyrants with excellent taste in color. Chloe made the cake. Orange buttercream. Immaculate.

Elijah's birthday activity: he blew out two candles (with assistance — the lung capacity of a two-year-old is aspirational but underdeveloped). He smashed the cake (year two of the smash tradition, now with better aim). He received gifts: orange blocks from Terrence, an orange stuffed tiger from Mama (Mama's gift game has adapted to the Orange Rule), and a fire truck from Jayden ("for his collection" — Jayden is building Elijah's fire truck inventory with the patience of a collector ensuring the next generation is properly equipped).

The orange food phase is now officially a year old. Dr. Pediatrician (not his real name but I can't remember it and the title is accurate) says it's fine — toddlers fixate on colors and textures and Elijah is getting adequate nutrition because oranges and sweet potatoes and carrots are nutritionally excellent and the chicken nuggets are at least protein and the Goldfish crackers are... enthusiasm. He's fine. He's orange and fine. The phase may last another year. Or two. Or ten. Or forever. The phase is not a phase. The phase is Elijah.

I made the birthday dinner: Elijah's choice. He chose: "mo nana cheese." More macaroni and cheese. His first birthday dinner request, articulated in toddler, interpreted by mother: mac and cheese. The same three-cheese baked mac and cheese I make for milestones. The milestone cheese. I made it with the nutmeg Chloe taught me (she's still right about the nutmeg) and Elijah ate two servings and Jayden ate three and Chloe ate one and critiqued the cheese ratio ("needs more gruyere") and the table was full and the baby was two and the orange cake was demolished and the sunflower was on my wrist and Sarah's Table had its tenth Sunday and the spring vegetable pasta was coming next week and everything — EVERYTHING — was exactly where it was supposed to be.

Elijah’s birthday dinner will always be the three-cheese baked mac and cheese — that’s his milestone dish and it belongs to him. But the week after his party, when the orange cake was gone and the apartment was quiet again and I was still riding the warmth of a table that was exactly full enough, I found myself craving that same melted-cheese feeling in a form I could eat with a spoon on a still-cool March evening. This Cheesy Cauliflower Soup is where that craving landed: deeply savory, layered with good cheese, the kind of thing you make when someone in your life has just reminded you that “mo nana cheese” is actually the correct answer to most of life’s questions.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 large head cauliflower (about 2 lbs), cut into florets
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and black pepper to taste
Sour cream and sliced chives, for serving

Instructions

Sauté the aromatics. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Build the base. Sprinkle the flour over the onion and garlic and stir to coat. Cook for 1–2 minutes to eliminate the raw flour taste. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, a cup at a time, making sure no lumps form.
Simmer the cauliflower. Add the cauliflower florets to the pot. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the cauliflower is completely tender when pierced with a fork, about 18–20 minutes.
Blend to your liking. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth and creamy. For a chunkier texture, blend only half the soup and leave the rest as-is. If using a countertop blender, work in batches and vent the lid carefully.
Add the dairy and cheese. Return the pot to low heat. Stir in the milk and heavy cream. Add 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar and all of the Gruyère, one handful at a time, stirring until each addition is fully melted before adding the next. Do not let the soup boil once the cheese is in.
Season and finish. Stir in the nutmeg and smoked paprika. Taste and adjust salt and black pepper as needed. If the soup is thicker than you’d like, add a splash more broth and stir to combine.
Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheddar, a small dollop of sour cream, and a pinch of fresh chives. Serve immediately with crusty bread or warm breadsticks alongside.

Nutrition (per serving)

Cheesy Cauliflower Soup — The “Mo Nana Cheese” Spirit in a Bowl