My family loves cheese and I use it in favorite recipes from appetizers to desserts. I thought I was fairly knowledgeable about the subject until I arrived in Amsterdam and visited a few of their cheese shops.
On my recent visit I was served the most delicious gouda cheese soup and wanted to duplicate it as soon as I got home. This recipe comes close and is amazingly easy to make and low in calories. Pureed cauliflower provides lots of flavor and a creamy delicate texture so cream wasn’t needed. Use an immersion blender if you like a soup with texture…I wanted a smooth soup so blended the cooled soup in my food processor for a few seconds.
Gouda, or “How-da” as the locals say, is named after the city of Gouda in the Netherlands. It is one of the oldest (first mentioned in history in 1184) and most popular cheeses in the world. It is a semi-hard cheese celebrated for its rich, unique flavor and smooth texture. The original cheese market in Gouda is one of the last standing commercial cheese markets in the Netherlands. Since the name is not protected, it has become a generic classification for all cheeses produced and sold under the name Gouda. Gouda is typically made from pasteurized cow’s milk although some artisan varieties use sheep’s or goat’s milk to produce cheeses that are going to be aged for a long time. – Cheese.com. For more Gouda info visit their website.
There are seven different types of Gouda cheese, categorized depending on age. Graskaas is young Gouda ready to be consumed within weeks of production. At the other end of the spectrum is the extra aged, Overjarig cheese which has a full-flavored, hard, golden interior and salty flavor reminiscent of a toffee. The waxed rind of the cheese also changes by the age as soft, younger Dutch Gouda cheese are identified by yellow, orange, or red wax rinds white mature cheese have black wax coverings. I purchased the Old Gouda in the above photo in this cheese shop in the heart of Amsterdam and bought the large piece of New Gouda at Costco. The new is semi-soft with a mild creamy texture and is wonderful to cook with. It is also a delicious change from the sharper more intensely flavored cheese I usually use. Young Goudas are best paired with beer while medium cheeses taste best when paired with a fruity Riesling or Chenin Blanc. A well aged Gouda complements wines that are deeply flavored such as a rich Merlot or Shiraz. Gouda cheese may be grated, sliced, cubed or melted. It may be used as a table cheese or dessert cheese.
Gouda cheese is flavored with the wide variety of herbs, spices and other flavorings.
The quality and selection of takeout food in Amsterdam is excellent and it’s very easy to put together an impromptu picnic.
I wonder if they do home delivery. Portland is called Bicycle City but we don’t even come close to the number of bikes in Amsterdam. Hundreds of them are parked EVERYWHERE. They have the right of way and they mean to take it…so watch out if you are doing a lot of walking. Don’t expect them to swerve around you.
I found this delicious soup recipe at My Gourmet Connection. I made several small changes but otherwise prepared it as the recipe directs. It was so flavorful and creamy that I didn’t think it needed the half-and-half, and I substituted crispy bacon for the prosciutto.
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 3 cloves garlic
- 6 cups cauliflower florets
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- Salt and ground white pepper to taste
- 1 bayleaf
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups grated gouda
- 1 teaspoon mustard (Dijon-style or English)
- ¼ cup half-and-half
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped coarsley
- 2 to 3 thin slices of prosciutto, julienned
- Roughly chop the onion, carrots, celery and garlic and combine with the cauliflower, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and salt and pepper in a large soup pot. Cook over medium heat until vegetables start to soften and onions become translucent, about 20-25 minutes.
- Add the bay leaf and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf and purée the soup until smooth with a hand-held immersion blender, or a conventional blender.
- Just prior to serving the soup, stir in the gouda, mustard, half-and-half and butter. Taste and season with salt and pepper again if needed. Continue cooking until the cheese has melted and the soup is smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
- In a small pan, heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat and quickly fry the rosemary and prosciutto until crispy and aromatic.
- Divide soup into bowls and garnish with the rosemary and prosciutto.
This soup sounds delicious and I am making it today. It is getting very cold here in Portland and this soup will help me stay warm. Thanks for the recipe.
Cathy, this sounds delicious. In fact, I think I can smell that cheese shop in Amsterdam from here. Oh my……
Susan recently posted..Arizona–we are home!!
This was a fascinating post Cathy. The soup sounds absolutely delicious. I love the way that cauliflower can thicken a soup without having to resort to cream.
Penny recently posted..Mimi’s Lyonnaise Potatoes
The soup sounds delicious and I would never dreamed the Gouda percentage to be that high. When we visited our kids in Eindhoven several years ago we learned about the bicycles, how to pronounce Gouda and spargel..
Larry recently posted..Thanks Vets
Cathy , the soup sounds so creamy and delicious and it’s soup weather in the Dallas area today! I have some smoked Gouda in the fridge right now. I wonder if that would be good instead of regular Gouda?
Kitty recently posted..Baby Pumpkin Bundt Cake in Honor of a New Baby
So, I’ve been mispronouncing “Gouda” wrong all these years? I learn something new every day. There is a cheese place, about 4 hours North East of where we live. Every year, when my husband drives through Oakdale, on his way home from his hiking/camping trip, he stops there to buy their Gouda cheese. These people came from Holland, and you can watch them making their Gouda cheese. It’s soft, and delicious with just the right balance of tang. I’ve never found a US brand as good as this. Craig just brought home a large wheel for $68.00, which we cut into smaller wedges and “food savered”. I know what I’m making with some of this cheese. I adore cauliflower, and Gouda. I think a glass of beer sounds perfect with this!
Foodiewife recently posted..Meatballs and Marinara – Pressure Cooker Style (or slow cooker)
Wow! I had no idea Gouda was that popular. It’s an amazingly delicious cheese and your soup looks the same. There’s nothing much better than cheese! I remember all the bikes in Amsterdam when we were there years ago. Thanks for this interesting post!
Your soup is so luscious and creamy. It’s hard to believe it’s not full of cream. I had no idea of Gouda’s popularity. I would have gone crazy in that cheese soup. I adore cheese.
Sam
Sam @ My Carolina Kitchen recently posted..Barefoot Contessa’s Parmesan Chicken topped with Salad Recipe
Cathy your soup sounds delicious and will be on the menu soon.
Madonna/aka/Ms. Lemon recently posted..Devils On Horseback
One of my best friends when I was 10 was Gwendolyn Brejaart…her dad was a pilot for KLM and her mom was a stewardess..they were Dutch and that’s how I fell in love with Gouda:) And dropjes etc..
The lavender one..so interesting..
Thanks for the visitand the recipe!
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Have never been a cauliflower fan, but after your description this soup sounds wonderful.
Love cheesey soups too.
Marilyn recently posted..Give Away for a Tea Lover
What an outstanding cheese shop! I have some Gouda in the fridge waiting for this recipe…it looks amazing 🙂
This soup sounds so delicious, Cathy. I wonder how it would taste made with smoked gouda? I would love to find some gouda with lavender, sounds very interesting.
Have a great week.
Marigene recently posted..National Bundt Day Celebration Challenge Tablescape
We love cheese too! This soup looks great.
Oh man, how do you pick when you go into a shop like that.
What a wonderful soup! I love Gouda cheese and, being from the Dairy State and home of The Cheesehead, I do need to make this one 🙂
Susan recently posted..Apple Cake with Toffee and Caramelized Apples
I learn SO MUCH from your postings, Cathy!! I rarely buy Gouda, but I guarantee it will be on my shopping list this week. I have everything else in the house to make this delicious looking soup.
Your trip sounds like it was a truly wonderful experience. Lucky you! Thanks for sharing it with us & helping to open our eyes to place we may never get to in person.
Hugs,
Rett
Rettabug recently posted..End of Summer Tablescapes
Soup looks so good
Hi Cathy, well it appears that I have been mispronouncing Gouda all along, did not realize it was so popular either. I bet this soup is delicious!
cheri recently posted..Wilted Pad Thai Salad with Shrimp
looks wonderful love that you used cauliflower and the lavender gouda would be fun to try
rebecca recently posted..Albanian Baked Eggplant
Even in Belgium, we have fantastic authentic cheese shops! 🙂 I made your delectable Gouda cauliflower cheese soup & loved every spoonful! 🙂
So wonderful too! x
Sophie33 recently posted..Soothing home-made cinnamon tea!
This soup sounds wonderful, and who knew the correct way to pronounce Gouda? Certainly not me. Thank you for the instruction and also for the comprehensive discussion of this marvelous cheese.
Adri recently posted..Farrotto allo Zafferano con Pignoli Tostati
I finally made this soup…we loved it with smoked gouda. It is definitely a keeper! Thanks for sharing, Cathy.
Marigene recently posted..Another Fall Table
Looks amazing!
Happy Thanksgiving Cathy!
Penny recently posted..Turkey With Leek and Artichoke Bread Pudding for Thanksgiving
Oooh we love cauliflower but never make it! This soup with the gouda looks perfect and sounds so delicious, I have to try it!
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