I’m convinced that there is nothing better than making a homemade soup to make you feel better about life. It’s even MORE satisfying when you come up with the recipe yourself! And to go one step farther, it’s the absolute BEST when it tastes just like Wisconsin Cauliflower soup from Zupas (AKA manna from the gods).

Tummy Twisters

I don’t think I even remember what it’s like to breathe out of my nose. Seasonal sickness has officially come upon me. This happens to me at the beginning of every winter, but this year it seems to have never left! It starts with the sniffles and then before you know it I’m lying in bed, overreacting and planning who I’m going to leave my button collection to (I’m not kidding, I really have a button collection).

Ok, I know I exaggerate a lot, but being sick is honestly such a trial for me. And because I have Crohns disease, I’m actually slightly sick pretty much all of the time.

For those of you who don’t know, Crohns disease is an autoimmune condition that prevents your body from absorbing enough nutrients from your food. This makes eating a HUGE chore because you know that whatever you eat, you’ll be paying for it later. So really, you’re just stuck in this weird cycle where you need to eat more than the average person since your body can’t absorb enough nutrients from normal amounts of food, but eating is the most painful thing in the world. It’s quite the conundrum.

Ok, enough of my sob story. Honestly for me, having Crohns isn’t that bad. My biggest struggle is that I have certain trigger foods that make my tummy hurt more than others, and OF COURSE, those foods are some of my favorite!

French fries, pizza, raw tomatoes, corn, and seed-filled berries are pretty much a no-no. Although I’ll be totally honest, I am not ready to give up fries. I still eat them, and honestly most of this list all the time. I just pay the belly-aching consequences.

The Up-Side

There are some foods that I consider to be totally safe. This could be because they have yogurt or some sort of probiotic, are high in sugar (bad for your nutrition, but easy for your digestion), and often are rather spicy. Usually when I tell people that these types of foods make me feel better they just stare and think I’m insane. But I PROMISE, these things really do help me.

In a way, this is why I decided to start cooking. I love creating things, and finding ways to help my body feel the best it can. Digestive diseases are interesting because something that’s healthy isn’t always going to be good for you. Each case is so individual, but I’m sharing this soup because it’s something that works for me.

So, without further ado, here is my absolute favorite soup recipe that I adapted from my friend Becky Low.

Ingredients:

• 2 pound cauliflower (about 6 cups chopped)
• 2 cups (16 oz) chicken broth
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• ½-1 teaspoon salt (season to taste)
• 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• ½ tablespoon yellow mustard
• Cooked bacon, sliced green onions, croutons, optional garnishes

Directions:

Trim cauliflower and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place in pot over medium heat with about 1-cup chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and steam for about 10 minutes or until tender.

Trim and chop onion. Using a saucepan, sauté in butter over medium heat until onion is translucent and begins to caramelize (about 10 minutes). If needed, add 1-2 tablespoons chicken broth to prevent scorching.

Stir flour into onions; gradually stir in remaining chicken broth and the milk. Stirring frequently, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1-2 minutes. Add cauliflower (and cooking liquid). Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the cheese and the mustard. If desired, thin to preferred consistency using additional milk. Serve garnished with remaining cheese and optional toppings.