Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic Soup

[SneakyPete]

Description: Roasting cuts the harsh flavors of both the cauliflower and the garlic. The addition of cheese and a touch of cream makes this a delicious and EASY surprisingly hearty soup.

Serving Size: 6

Time: 40 Min.

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

1. 1 head of cauliflower, seperated into flowerets (discard thick stems and leaves)
   
2. 4 cloves of garlic, peeled but left whole
   
3. A drizzle of olive oil
   
4. 4 cups of veggie or chicken broth (preferrably low or no salt)
   
5. 1 - 2 cups of shredded cheese. For this recipe I like a tomato-basil cheddar from Cabot because the seasonings add a hint of flavor, and some colorful bits, but you can use any cheese that melts well. Add as little or as much as you like.
   
6. Kosher salt
   
7. Fresh black pepper
   
8. A bit of Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes (to preference)
   
9. A bit of smoked paprika.
   
10. 
    
11. Serve with a drizzle of great olive oil and croutons on top.

Preparation:

Instructions:

1. Heat your oven to 425. Place your cauliflower flowerets and your garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Drizzle with some olive oil, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Roast the cauliflower, turning every 10 minutes or so, until the cauliflower and garlic are browned but not burnt. Should take about 20-30 minutes. Pull it when you think its dark enough.
   
2. In a soup pot, dump everything off the baking sheet (all of the cauliflower, garlic and crispy bits).
   
3. Add three cups of stock (reserving the last cup to thin as needed).
   
4. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
   
5. With a stick blender (or using a food processor), puree the mixture until fairly smooth. You may like it sooooth. Or you may prefer it with some minor chunkiness.
   
6. Add the cheese, stirring to melt.
   
7. Add the cream.
   
8. Taste for seasoning and add salt, pepper, aleppo pepper (or red pepper flakes) to taste. Add a wee bit of smoked paprika. A little bit goes a long way.
   
9. Serve in large bowls with a drizzle of great olive oil and a few croutons. This soup is delicious on the first day, but is acutally better the next day, once the flavors have time to meld.

[DD]

SP-I think you like soup as much as me! This one is a definite "gotta try"!!

[SneakyPete]

Yeah, I'm kind of a soup freak! I like to cook once or twice a week. I try to make two soups, a casserole or pasta dish of some sort, several marinated salads, a rice dish and fixings for vegetarian or seafood tacos/burritos. I work late afternoon and into the evening, so it's easier for me to make plenty of items that can be easily reheated by the family. It keeps them (and me) from eating unhealthy stuff, and it keeps us from eating out as much.

Our favorite soups are the cauliflower soup and the corn/poblano soup (both posted here), black bean soup, lentil soup, white bean soup w/ cabbage and tomatoes, gazpacho (when I can get out to the place in Navarre where a man has a huge hidden farm right on the sound -- freakin awesome tomatoes!), cream of sweet potato, cream of broccoli, tomato and carrot juice soup, leek and potato, oyster stew, three-onion soup, Thai lemongrass soup, a vegetarian "avgolemono" w/ couscous and Thai curry, tortilla and lime soup -- and then there's always "kitchen sink soup" when you clean out the fridge!

Since we don't eat meat, the biggest challenge when making soups has been nixing ham/bacon/meat bones as flavorings. You do lose some complexity of flavor when you're forced to omit them, but I try to make up for it with creative seasoning.

[DD]

Yeah, I'm kind of a soup freak! I like to cook once or twice a week. I try to make two soups, a casserole or pasta dish of some sort, several marinated salads, a rice dish and fixings for vegetarian or seafood tacos/burritos. I work late afternoon and into the evening, so it's easier for me to make plenty of items that can be easily reheated by the family. It keeps them (and me) from eating unhealthy stuff, and it keeps us from eating out as much.

Our favorite soups are the cauliflower soup and the corn/poblano soup (both posted here), black bean soup, lentil soup, white bean soup w/ cabbage and tomatoes, gazpacho (when I can get out to the place in Navarre where a man has a huge hidden farm right on the sound -- freakin awesome tomatoes!), cream of sweet potato, cream of broccoli, tomato and carrot juice soup, leek and potato, oyster stew, three-onion soup, Thai lemongrass soup, a vegetarian "avgolemono" w/ couscous and Thai curry, tortilla and lime soup -- and then there's always "kitchen sink soup" when you clean out the fridge!

Since we don't eat meat, the biggest challenge when making soups has been nixing ham/bacon/meat bones as flavorings. You do lose some complexity of flavor when you're forced to omit them, but I try to make up for it with creative seasoning.

They all sound wonderful!!

[T Cline]

YUMMMMMY to all your soups...I LOVE soups too...eat them regularly!

one of my favorite cook books is the Soup Bible...beautiful pictures too!

I 'm going to try your cauliflower soup!

Yeah, I'm kind of a soup freak! I like to cook once or twice a week. I try to make two soups, a casserole or pasta dish of some sort, several marinated salads, a rice dish and fixings for vegetarian or seafood tacos/burritos. I work late afternoon and into the evening, so it's easier for me to make plenty of items that can be easily reheated by the family. It keeps them (and me) from eating unhealthy stuff, and it keeps us from eating out as much.

Our favorite soups are the cauliflower soup and the corn/poblano soup (both posted here), black bean soup, lentil soup, white bean soup w/ cabbage and tomatoes, gazpacho (when I can get out to the place in Navarre where a man has a huge hidden farm right on the sound -- freakin awesome tomatoes!), cream of sweet potato, cream of broccoli, tomato and carrot juice soup, leek and potato, oyster stew, three-onion soup, Thai lemongrass soup, a vegetarian "avgolemono" w/ couscous and Thai curry, tortilla and lime soup -- and then there's always "kitchen sink soup" when you clean out the fridge!

Since we don't eat meat, the biggest challenge when making soups has been nixing ham/bacon/meat bones as flavorings. You do lose some complexity of flavor when you're forced to omit them, but I try to make up for it with creative seasoning.