Zupas Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

Ben's mom was in town a couple of weeks ago and she took us out to lunch at Zupas.  I tried their Cauliflower soup for the first time.  I loved the flavor of it!  My only complaint about their soup is that it has no chunks....it's completely smooth.  So when I made this soup that was the main alteration I made...Instead of blending my cauliflower, I left it in small chunks.  This did make for a slightly thinner soup so next time I will add something to thicken it a bit.  This recipe doesn't taste exactly like Zupas but it's really good.  And a great way to use a head of cauliflower at this time of year.

Zupas Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

2 tablespoons butter (1/4 stick)
1 medium onion, 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 teaspoon Dijon mustard (I omitted.  Unless you are a big fan of Dijon mustard you may want to leave this out.)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup pepper jack cheese (I used Monterey Jack instead because that is what I had.)

In 4-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour and salt; cook 2 minutes, 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 10 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.