Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1  extra-large or 2 medium heads of cauliflower - washed, cored and chopped roughly into florets (about 900 grams)

2 bulbs of garlic (whole bulbs with about 6 cloves total) - top 1/4 inch cut off

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbsps salted butter

1 large yellow onion, diced

5 cups chicken broth - or 4 cups broth and 1 cup water

1 tbsp dijon mustard

3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried leaves

1/8 tsp fresh grated or jarred nutmeg

1/4 tsp white pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1/4 cup chopped parsely

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment 

2. Drizzle a 1 tbsp of olive oil over cut garlic bulbs and wrap in aluminum foil, place in preheated oven, roast 15 minutes, leave in oven

4. Meanwhile, heap cauliflower florets in the centre of the tray and drizzle with 3 tbsps olive oil, toss to coat and spread out in a single layer

5. When garlic has roasted 15 minutes, add tray of cauliflower to the oven and continue to roast  both for 35 mintues or until florets have browned up 

6. While roasting, melt butter in a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven and heat over medium heat (5 out of 10)

7. Add onion and saute  at low heat (2 out of 10) for 30 minutes, stirring frequently - or until a light golden colour- set aside

8. When cauliflower and garlic are roasted, add them to the pot (squeeze garlic out of the bulb)

9. Add broth, mustard, thyme, nutmeg, salt and pepper

10. Bring to a boil, then simmer 20 minutes or until cauliflower is ultra tender and the flavours have melded- remove thyme stems if using fresh

11. Remove pot from the heat and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth, or process in batches in a counter top blender

12. Stir in lemon juice, adjust seasoning and serve sprinkled with parsley, if desired

Notes:

As a time saver, you can roast cauliflower and garlic a day or two ahead, then assemble the soup when needed. Just store both in the fridge, in an airtight container.

If your garlic has started to turn green in the centre, don't worry.  Once roasted and squeezed out, that part is easy to discard.  It's not inedible anyway, just a bit bitter.

White pepper adds a milder, more earthy flavour than black pepper. If you don't have white pepper, black will do as a substitute - use a bit less.

Use caution if blending with a counter top blender, as the soup is extremely hot.  Place a tea towel over the blender lid while running to avoid splashes.

I find snipping parsley with kitchen shears works better than a knife, as even a sharp knife tends to crush the delicate parsley when chopping.

Other topping ideas include:  small roasted cauliflower florets, freshly grated parmesan cheese, homemade croutons, or to be super decadent - add crispy bacon bits!.

This soup stores perfectly in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 5 days and freezes well too, for up to six months.

Nutrition Facts:

Servings: 6

Calories 152

Total Fat 10.4g 13%  Saturated Fat 3g 15%  Cholesterol 8mg 3%  Sodium 703mg 31%  Total Carbohydrate 6.5g 2%  Dietary Fiber 1.3g 5%

Total Sugars 2.3g Protein 4.4g Vitamin D 2mcg 10%  Calcium 33mg 3%  Iron 1mg 4%  Potassium 266mg 6%

The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.