Swamp Soup for Halloween

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays because it lends itself to so much family fun. I enjoy surprising kids at the dinner table with something unexpected and out of the ordinary. One year I made black squid ink pasta with "Monster" meatballs (carrot sticks make great snaggly teeth), another year I baked a stuffed Jack-o'-Lantern.

Well, this year I was inspired to make a purple soup...

Yup, came across some purple cauliflower & potatoes and, of course, the next thought was Purple Soup!

Unfortunately, the potatoes surprised me...

After I cut up my potatoes, I discovered they weren't solid purple inside. Worse, they turned brownish after cooking. So the end result was...

Here's a closer look ~ yes, it turned out more grayish than purple...

I think the garnish of pesto and green onions adds a specially great virulent touch! So not too appetizing to look at, but creamy & delicious thanks to the cauliflower, potatoes and touch of cream. Perfect for Halloween.

What do you think?

Recipe

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion (next time I might try red)
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 medium head of purple cauliflower, broken into small florets
5 medium purple potatoes (next time I'll use 3 because I actually like to taste the cauliflower)
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or you can replace with Italian seasoning)
6 medium garlic cloves, peeled and smashed (you can add less or more depending on your taste)
2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth (you can use vegetable stock if you want this to be a vegetarian dish)
1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half (optional. Skip if you're trying to keep it light or vegetarian)
Salt and pepper.

Garnish options: Pesto, sliced chives or green onions, extra olive oil

Directions:

1. Heat the butter or oil in a soup pot over medium high heat. Once butter is melted/oil is shimmery, add onions and celery. Cook until soft, about 2 minutes.

2. Add in the potatoes, cauliflower, thyme and garlic. Cook until veggies are somewhat caramelized and half-done. About 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Add in the broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for another 30 minutes.

4. Take off heat. Add in the cream, if using, and salt and pepper to taste.

5. Serve in bowls topped with the garnish of your choice.

Have a happy & safe Halloween y'all!