march 15, 2011 - wisconsin cauliflower soup- but 10 times better - and lion house rolls

in my bountiful basket this last saturday, i also got a head of bright green cauliflower (i know weird) and i immediately knew that i would be making this soup.  although i forgot that i needed onion and i didn't have any, so i improvised a little and it actually turned out better than the way i had been making it.  instead of the onion, i used a red pepper.  that is why the coloring of the soup in this picture is darker than the previous ones.

then i also made some lion house rolls to eat with the soup.  i used my bread machine and set it on the dough setting.  i was nice because i didn't have to get my hands all dirty, but the bread machine did struggle a little to get it all mixed and needed a little help from my spatula.

here's the recipe the way i made it.  changes are in blue.

Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup
Yields: 9 cups or 8 first-course servings

2 tablespoons margarine or butter (1/4 stick)
1 medium red pepper, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 can (13 3/4 to 14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 head (2 1/2 pounds) cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup pepper jack cheese
1/2 cup monterrey jack cheese

In 4-quart saucepan, melt margarine or butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour and salt; cook 2minutes, stirring frequently. Gradually stir in milk, chicken broth, and 1 1/2 cups water; add cauliflower and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 20 minutes. In blender (with center part of blender cover removed to allow steam to escape), blend cauliflower mixture at low speed in small batches until very smooth. Return cauliflower mixture to saucepan; heat over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in mustard and 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted and smooth. Garnish soup with remaining cheese to serve.