13 January, 2013
Soup’s On!
The temperature outside has been hovering between 20 and 30 degrees these days, every once in a while getting up to 40, but just way too cold for me! When the temperature gets this low, I go for comfort food to warm me up: casseroles, soups, and hot tea!
I found this amazing recipe on Closet Cooking and adapted it for my tastes, and it was so good, I just have to share!
Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic Soup with Aged White Cheddar
Ingredients:
1 small head Cauliflower, cut into florets
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 large Onion, diced
5 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 tsp. Thyme
4 Cups Chicken Broth
2 Cups Aged White Cheddar, shredded
1 Cup Milk
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cayenne and/or Paprika to taste (optional)
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| Start with a head of cauliflower… |
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| Cut into florets. |
Toss the cauliflower florets in the olive oil with the salt and pepper and arrange them in a single layer on a large baking sheet. I added the peeled garlic cloves to the baking sheet (no salt and pepper!) to roast them, as well.
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| Toss the florets in a little olive oil with salt and pepper. Put on a baking sheet and roast in the oven. I added the garlic to the sheet and roasted it as well. |
| Roast the cauliflower in a preheated oven (400F) until lightly golden brown, about 20-30 min. |
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| The cauliflower is done when it is lightly browned. |
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| I roasted some broccoli, too. Nice green to go with my dinner, and it turned out really good! |
Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan or dutch oven over medium heat, add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. I chopped the roasted garlic and added that and the thyme, and sauted for about another minute or so.
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| Saute the onions in a little olive oil. |
Add the broth and deglaze the pan. Add the cauliflower and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
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| Add the cauliflower to the broth and bring to a boil. |
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| Grated Aged White Cheddar… yum! |
Puree the soup until it reaches your desired consistency with a stick blender. I used my new Cuisinart Immersion Blender that Mike got me for Christmas… love that thing!
Stir in the cheese, let it melt without bringing it to a boil again. Stirring in a figure 8 works really well to completely combine the cheese without allowing it to clump.
Stir in the milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste. A little smoky paprika (like Hungarian Paprika) or Cayenne sprinkled on top adds a nice touch of heat to the soup, too. Remove from heat, and serve!
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| After blending, add in the cheese and stir until melted. |
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| Voila! Dinner is served |
I served this with some garlic cheddar bread that I picked up from the Great Harvest Bread Company here in town. If you have not been to this place, you are missing out! Phenomenal bakery, helpful staff, and samples. 🙂 What more can a girl ask for?