Roasted Cauliflower & Garlic Soup

I admit it, I’m a sucker for anything cauliflower and if it’s roasted cauliflower, definitely sign me up! The first time I made this soup was as a starter for Thanksgiving dinner. It really delivers on flavor and nobody at the table believed that it was a cauliflower soup. Trust me, even the hardcore carnivores were sold! Since it is such a hearty and thick soup, more akin to a gravy, I have since adapted the recipe so it has more of a cream soup-like consistency. This results in a lighter soup that runs more easily from the spoon.

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Roasted Cauliflower & Garlic Soup

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 8

Author Vegetariant

Ingredients

Roasting Cauliflower & Garlic

• 1 lbs large head cauliflower approx 2 1/2
• 4 teaspoons olive oil divided
• 2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 teaspoon white pepper
• 4 cloves garlic unpeeled

Add for Soup

• 3 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup grated Manchego or Parmesan cheese
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Garnishes: olive oil pomegranate seeds, parmesan cheese, red bell peppers, fresh thyme

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Cut cauliflower into 2-inch florets; toss with 3 tsp. olive oil, garlic salt and white pepper.
3. Arrange florets in a single layer on a nonstick cookie sheet or cake pan.
4. Wrap garlic cloves in aluminum foil, pour 1 tsp. over garlic and place on cookie sheet/cake pan with cauliflower.
5. Bake at 425° for 30-40 minutes or until cauliflower is golden brown (not burnt), tossing cauliflower every 15 minutes.
6. Transfer cauliflower to a large pot with lid.
7. Unwrap garlic and cool 5 minutes.
8. Squeeze garlic out and add to cauliflower.
9. Add stock, cover with lid and bring to a simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
10. Let mixture cool 10 minutes.
11. Scoop mixture into a blender and blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.
12. Return cauliflower mixture to pot; stir in milk, water, and cheese. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, 3-5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
13. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste.
14. Serve in bowls with garnish of your choice.

Recipe Notes

If using a powerful blender, like a BlendTec or Vitamix, you should be able to add the soup and use the "soup setting" without stopping to scrape the sides.

Let me know if you make this rich and yummy Roasted Cauliflower & Garlic Soup. Snap a pic of your creation and share on social with #vegetariant.

Enjoy!