Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup

I used to think that this was the only way one could make cauliflower soup at home. And I remember absolutely loving it. Boy was I missing out on A LOT. I sometimes wonder if I were to have some of that instant soup today if I would still like it. Chances are, I would find it powdery and wayyy too salty… Not even sure I’d want to try it after all!

Cauliflower soup is one that I’ve always truly enjoyed, and I eventually came to realize that it was very easy to make, it really was no use buying it in the dehydrated, overly processed form. You lose so much of the great nutritional value of the cauliflower, let alone much of its awesome flavor.

I decided to make things a little different this time by roasting my cauliflower, but you could very well skip that part if you wanted to, or if you don’t care much for roasted cauliflower. Or, if you really like roasted cauliflower but are a little pressed for time, like I usually am on weeknights, roast your cauliflower the previous night then put it in the refrigerator to use the next day. That way, you can have your beautiful soup ready in no time... or in about as long as it takes to make the instant stuff!

p.s. note to self... next time, go easy on the hot pepper flakes girl! I think you got a liiiiittle carried away and put a bit too much. Quite frankly, the heat was just a tad too much for the delicate flavor of the cauliflower. I wouldn’t say totally omit it, but make it a very light pinch.

Ingredients
(Serves 2)

• 1 head cauliflower
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1 pinch hot pepper flakes
• 1 tsp organic no-salt seasoning
• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• ¼ tsp salt
• Pinch black pepper

• 4 cups water
• 1½ cups unsweetened soy milk
• 1 tbsp corn starch

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Arrange cauliflower into florets. Transfer to large mixing bowl and throw in all seasonings, through olive oil. Stir well to coat evenly.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay cauliflower in a single layer and put it in the oven to roast for 30-35 minutes, until cauliflower is fragrant, tender, and has taken a nice coloration. Flip the pieces once halfway through cooking.
4. In a large saucepan, cook the onion, celery rib and garlic over medium high heat, until fragrant and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, bay leaves and cooked cauliflower. You might want to save a few pieces of cauliflower to garnish.
5. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, then add water. Bring to the boil, lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Remove bay leaves and puree the soup with a hand blender (or blender or food processor).  Add 1 cup of milk
7. Mix cornstarch with the remaining ½ cup of milk. Add to soup and stir. Bring back to boil for about 1 minute, to thicken and bind the soup.
8. Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with reserved cauliflower florets and chopped fresh parsley.