Scratch.Love: Creamy Mixed Potato and Cauliflower Soup

Recently we have been getting lots of various potatoes from our wonderful CSA. I was trying to decide what to do with them all when a friend posted a link to a potato soup recipe that she tried and said was wonderful. I used that recipe as a place to start, but I also knew I wanted to add some sweet potatoes to the mix. After pondering that for a while I decided that I wanted to add a little nutritional punch to this soup, and I happened to have some organic cauliflower hanging out in my freezer. I decided to add it just like I did with great success in my Cauliflower, Broccoli and Cheese Soup. I also decided to throw some carrots in there for good measure. The end result is a thick and rich soup with a slightly sweet flavor. I topped mine with chunks of thick cut bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, jalapeño peppers and sour cream. Perfect! This is a slow cooker recipe (and I prefer all of my soups low and slow, they just taste better to me!) so be prepared to cook this all day long for dinner in the evening or you could start the night before if you want it for lunch the next day like I did.

Creamy Mixed Potato and Cauliflower Soup

9 Cups Homemade Chicken Stock
10 ounces of Cauliflower (I used frozen)
2 Pounds Peeled White Potatoes (I had a mixed variety)
2 Pounds Peeled Sweet Potatoes
1 Large Onion
2 Large Carrots
4 Cloves of Garlic
1 Package of Cream Cheese
Sea Salt - To taste (I used about 2 Teaspoons but my stock is not salted. If you are using commercial stock that is already salted please taste before you add any at all)
1 Teaspoon of White Pepper
1 Teaspoon of Dill

Start by peeling the potatoes and cutting into smallish cubes. Into your crockpot they go. Place your crock pot on the lowest setting (mine is keep warm). Note: I have a large oval crock pot, which I believe is 6 quarts.

Next I used my vitamix to chop up my carrots, onions and garlic. Into the pot they go as well.

Then I added the cauliflower.

And finally in goes the chicken stock. I used homemade, which I always suggest. Your soup will taste so much better! Make it yourself, you will thank me later.

Put the top on it and forget about it for a while. I did this right before bed and let it cook all night. If you start this in the morning I suggest letting it cook around 6 hours at the lowest setting.

Good Morning! This is how mine looked (above) when I awoke. Depending on the temperature settings of your crock pot you might not have as much liquid as I do. It is a-ok to add a little more stock.

Next I put the cream cheese into my blender and added some of the hot soup. Blended it all up.

Put that back into my crock pot and continued blending small batches of it until it was the consistency I desired. I am not a huge fan of chunky so I estimate I probably blended about 3/4 of the soup.