4 large cloves garlic
1 28 ounce jar San Marzano Tomatoes (whole/peeled)
1 large head cauliflower (cut into bite size pieces)
1 large red bell pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
1 jar roasted Red peppers
2 Cups chicken stock
1 T olive Oil
1 t basil
1 t oregano
1 t fresh cracked pepper (to taste)
1 t salt (to taste)
1 pkg (5 links) uncooked italian chicken sausage
2 cups baby spinach
Creamy Cheesy Sauce:
2 T light cream cheese
1 T parmesan cheese
4 T whole milk ricotta cheese
2 T heavy cream
1 t oregano
1. Cut two of the tomatoes, and bell peppers (fresh and roasted) into about 2-3 inch pieces (doesn't need to be too precise since you'll be blending it). Also cut up the jalapeno pepper into a few slices (ribs/seeds and all). With the remaining 2 tomatoes, dice and set aside. (We will be adding these raw at the end to add some texture to the pureed soup).
2. Cut the cauliflower off of the head into bite size pieces.
3. Heat a skillet and cook the sausage. If it is in links, squeeze the meat out (and if not just plop it in the pan). Break it up with a wooden spoon (pro tip: use a potato masher to get nice uniform pieces without pieces flying out of the pan like when you use a wooden spoon). Cook until fully cooked and browned and deliciously crispy. (Try not to eat it all while the rest of the soup is cooking).
4. In a large soup pot, heat 1 T olive oil. Then pour in the cut up tomatoes, bell pepper, jalapeno and garlic (go ahead and leave the garlic whole- no need to make a mess crushing it, its just going to get blended anyways). Also add in the chicken stock and cauliflower. Season with salt and pepper, 1 t basil, 1 t oregano. Give it a stir, and cover, and cook on medium for about 25-30 minutes, or until the cauliflower is nice and tender and all the other veggies are basically falling apart.
5. Using a hand blender, combine VERY WELL. This will take some time so just switch hands when one gets tired of holding down the blender button. You want it to get to a nice creamy consistency with no chunks or grits. If it seems too thick, add in some more broth.
6. Return to heat, and add in the sausage, and spinach and the reserved diced tomatoes. Stir and let it heat through again (it probably cooled slightly while blending).
7. While the soup is getting hot, make the creamy cheese sauce. In a small blender or food processor, combine the cream cheese, parm, ricotta, and heavy cream. Season with 1 t oregano. Try not to eat this by the spoonful...... ;) (If you have leftovers of this sauce, save it. Its great for adding some thickness to soup or stew! It would also make a nice creamy pasta sauce, or serve over chicken.)
To serve, pour some of the soup into a bowl and then add a couple spoonfuls of the cheesy sauce over the top.