Name: Beer and Cheese Cauliflower Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter; 1 medium-large onion, chopped; 1 large carrot, diced; 1 large stalk celery, diced; 2 large cloves garlic, minced; 1 medium head cauliflower, chopped into florets; 25.4 oz (725 ml) ale; 24 oz (710 ml) low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock (I used Swanson); 1 bay leaf; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (use vegan Worcestershire to keep this dish vegetarian); 1 teaspoon hickory-smoked sea salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper or ½ teaspoon hot sauce (more or less to taste); 8 oz (225 g) smoked Gouda cheese, shredded; 3 tablespoons tapioca starch (see Note); Croutons (I used my Best Paleo Sandwich Bread to make homemade croutons); Fresh scallions, thinly sliced; Black truffle oil; Ground black pepper