Creamy Asparagus & Cauliflower Soup with Hold the Bacon

It's hard to make a plain old vegetable soup with a well-stocked fridge. You want to make a light, healthy, restorative soup, but as you reach in the fridge for the vegetables, your hand has to pass things like butter, cheese, and crème fraiche; not to mention dealing with bacon's sweet, smoky, siren song.

But this time, I resisted all temptations and somehow managed to keep this fairly pure. I don't expect you to show the same restraint. However, if you do, you'll be rewarded with a delicious bowl of soup that despite being dairy-free, looks and feels pretty creamy. We have cauliflower to thank for that.

The soup looks like a classic cream of asparagus, and your eyes will fool your palate to a certain extent. In addition to giving it a nice color, the bumpy superfood also provides a smoother texture to the soup than the less starchy asparagus could achieve alone.

Speaking of nice color, try to get your hands on some nasturtiums. They are quite safe to eat...I've heard from several people...and have a very subtle watercress-like flavor. They're not fried bacon, but what is? Anyway, whether you choose to accessorize this soup or not, I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 8 cups of soup:

• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 3 chopped cloves garlic (you can also add diced onions, leeks, shallots, etc at this point as well)
• *6 cups chicken broth, or water for you vegetarians
• 1 head cauliflower cut into small florets (about 1 3/4 lb)
• 2 pounds asparagus, trimmed
• salt and pepper to taste
• cayenne pepper to taste
•  
• nasturtium petals for garnish
• *use more or less broth to adjust soup to your desired thickness.