A few years ago, I was making this insanely flavorful, yet limited ingredient Italian soup. It was creamy and became an instant hit with my family. Flash forward to the present, everyone still remembers how wonderful that soup tasted, but it seemed that it was a thing of the past since our food choices have changed. That soup got its creaminess from white kidney beans, a slight bite from orecchiette pasta, and richness from the addition of heavy cream. All of these ingredients seemed impossible to replace and achieve the same flavor, until today. I began to research this recipe again and realized that the flavor came from the bacon and herbs more so than the other ingredients. The richness could be recreated with an addition of ghee (or grass-fed butter, if preferred). I was a little concerned with the creaminess though. I wanted a creamy soup, so I knew I needed something other than just a broth base. I also needed something to finish the soup off with that would provide a bit of texture as the pasta used to. I came to the conclusion that by using cauliflower, the soup would get the creaminess it needed. By topping the soup with some crisped bacon, the soup would have the texture it called for. With all of these things put together, this soup became a reality. A tasty reality. We all devoured our bowls, and it wasn't even meal time. My kids are already asking for more. Definitely give this a try. You won't be able to tell it's cauliflower either. It's a warm and comforting meal for any day of the week.
