Cauliflower and Ginger Soup

It's not often it rains in Las Vegas, but when it does I immediately start scrounging around for ingredients to make a light but flavorful soup. This one couldn't be any simpler, and there's nothing like fresh ginger to lift your spirits on a dreary day.

Roughly chop a medium onion and cook in a large pot with a little oil until soft, but not browned. Meanwhile, roughly shop a head of cauliflower, and peel and chop a ginger root. When the onions are soft, add the cauliflower and ginger to the pot, along with two cups of reduced-sodium chicken stock. Add water just until the cauliflower is covered (shown to the left), then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, lid on, for a half hour or until the cauliflower is soft. Let cool slightly before ladling the mixture into the blender and blending till smooth.

To serve immediately would be my recommendation. It thickens up quite a bit on standing, so when you reheat it you could add a little water or, better yet, cream to smooth it out.