Tuesday: Cauliflower Soup with Pistachio-Fig Spinach Salad

I don't know what the weather has been like in your neck of the woods, but it has been COLD here in California! Who would have thought in the middle/end of May? So we warmed up to this creamy cauliflower soup that is delish! Plus, it only has 186 calories per cup. Not bad for a creamy soup. Pair it with this yummy Spinach Pistachio Fig Salad for a healthy meal!

Soup Recipe
8 servings

  
2 TB olive oil
2 leeks, white and light green chopped and rinsed
4 cups cauliflower florets, chopped
2 1/2 cup low-fat milk, divided
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white or black pepper
3 TB all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1 TB lemon juice

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring until soft about 5 minutes. Add cauliflower, 2 cups of milk, water, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until cauliflower is soft, about 8 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, whisk remaining 1/2 cup milk and flour. After cauliflower is soft, mix in milk mixture and cook over medium-high heat until soup has thickened slightly, stirring often. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese and lemon juice. 

 Spinach Pistachio Fig Salad Recipe   
4 servings

  
2 cup spinach
1/4 cup unsalted pistachios
1 oz goat cheese
1 orange, cut up
1/4 cup figs, cut up
 Easy Vinaigrette Dressing


1. Divide spinach into bowls, add pistachios, goat cheese, orange slices and figs. Top with easy vinaigrette dressing. YUM!

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Plan and Prep Ahead

Here are some helpful techniques to make life a little easier once dinner time hits. These tips will especially help those that work full-time and don't have a lot of time to prepare dinner.

~Make salad ahead of time and store in fridge.
~Make soup ahead of time, store in fridge until time of use and reheat when needed.
~Chop cauliflower and leeks ahead of time and store in fridge. 
~Grate cheese, keep in airtight container until time of use in fridge. 

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Who likes to CHANGE IT UP? 

~Try a different cheese like monterey jack or pepper jack

~Instead of leeks try onions.

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