Creamy Cauliflower + Cous Cous Soup
Whistler this past week was perfect. Perfect skiing. Perfect company. Perfect vibes. It actually came with a shard of disappointment because the 2024 snowfall has been very lack luster everywhere, but it truly was a perfect trip. I heard someone say “a bad day on the mountain is still better than an ok day anywhere else,” and in Whistler it’s true. It’s quality time for just us two - I really kind of disengage from my usual routine and I’m able to just be present for a few days to adventure + relax with Jordan. Whether it was the best decision or not, I really phoned it in at work and exchanged being glued to my emails for simply enjoying the week away. It’s become our annual Winter trip - to escape to Whistler and ski our faces off. This year managing to sneak it in over Valentine’s was super fun, especially considering being out on the slopes is something I can actually enjoy now. The fear that used to come with just the thought of going skiing - it would start a few days before + then build as we drove up to the mountain. And then riding up the lift for that first run was an out of body experience - like just kind of forcing myself to do it and once I was at the top I had this thought of “well I guess we’re really doing this.” Out of body is honestly the best way to put it, and it was always the same mental rollercoaster. This is year two out on the slopes where I’m really not afraid anymore, and THAT feels good. Even got myself a new little ski set to celebrate sticking with it, and I’m looking good and feeling good out on the mountain this year.
This is our third year in Whistler, and it just doesn’t get old. It’s our Winter “fit-cation',” and I love it. Being active all day to just experience that perfect “ski tired” where you never really get to burnt out during the day (no major sweating or huffing + puffing or whatever), but come an hour after you’ve stopped skiing, you just feel spent. Brain isn’t really firing on all cylinders, legs are pretty achy, and you’re generally just pretty exhausted. Wouldn’t trade it for anything. It gets more fun every year, and for the 3rd year in a row we spent our drive home pondering how we can become dual citizens to get to our own little ski condo right in the village.
I love the routine that this vacation gets us in. Like I said - fitcation! Getting up, getting caffeinated, and working hard on the mountain in exchange for an aprés beer or a really yummy dinner out. For us, it’s sharing a jug of Kokanee at the end of the ski day that’s pretty sweet. This year, pretty much all the pictures I have are of Jordan staring back at me from across the table with a beer in hand. And grabbing a beer at our favorite place, Merlin’s, is icing on the cake. Literally me trying to justify getting a little studio in Whistler so I can ski + hit Merlin’s just a few more times a year is real motivation. We have our few spots we like to hit every year now - Merlin’s is one, then comes getting to our favorite ramen spot, the silent spa, and the Raven Room. Those are the non-negotiables, and I so thoroughly look forward to having a little date with my husband at each. And then there’s Purebread. Literally the most glorious bakery I’ve ever been to in my life. We went like 3 days in a row this trip, and zero regrets. You really feel like you earn it out there!
This year, we eased back into our at-home routine with a to-go brownie from Purebread we smuggled across the border and the most delicious Creamy Cauliflower + Cous Cous Soup. The most delicious non-chicken soup that gives major chicken noodle soup vibes. It’s savory, brothy, creamy, and the broth has this little bit of thickness that is just heaven. Dip pieces of a crusty sourdough or even a favorite cheddar + jalapeño loaf into the soup (another thing we also took home from Purebread as a vacation souvenir), garnish it with some cheese + fresh parsley, and add in our favorite hot sauce. It’s perfect + comforting + a new staple for soup season at our house. And I’m glad we’ve discovered it!
Final note of the trip - our new motto is “fun at fifty.” Without trying to sound rude or just like a general dumbass, it’s awesome to see folks out on the slope in their 50s and 60s just having a ball with friends or their partner. It seems like a pretty even split out there - half youngsters and half people my parents age. I want to be my parents age and still active as hell. We both want to be those people so so badly! And I think we can be. Fitcations are so good for us - for our mental health, our genuine happiness, and quality time together. All the races we’ve done together, our epic Yosemite, and these ski trips. They all go hand in hand with some of my favorite memories with Jordan. And I’m so glad adventuring and vacationing in this way is something we’ve been able to adapt + enjoy together, and become passionate about as we travel. Can’t wait to see what kind of trouble we get into next.
For the soup
3 tbsp butter
3 garlic cloves
1 sweet onion, diced
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
4 celery ribs, sliced
salt + pepper
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried thyme
red pepper flakes
1 large head of cauliflower
10 c. chicken broth
1 parmesan rind
5 oz. cous cous (I love the Lemon + Herb Cous Cous pack from Whole Foods, and if you can’t get your hands on that 1 tsp of lemon pepper seasoning is handy)
1 c. half & half
Shredded mozzarella, fresh parsley, and toasted sourdough for serving
Place a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add in the butter. Once melted, add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add in the onion, carrots, and celery, continuing to cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt a pepper, the dried herbs, and a pinch of red pepper flakes, stir, and continue to cook for 3 minutes. Add in the cauliflower, stir, and deglaze the pan with 4 cups of the broth. Bring to a rapid boil, and then add the rest of the broth. Bring to a boil stir in the parmesan rind + cous cous. Reduce the heat to medium, letting the soup simmer, and continue to cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
After the cous cous has cooked, reduce the heat to low, and stir in the cream. Let the soup cook for another 3 minutes.
Remove the parmesan rind. Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with some fresh mozzarella (I like that best because it gets so melty) + parsley, and even some hot sauce if that’s your jam. Serve alongside some sourdough slices, and you’re set for a perfect soup night at home.
