Warm Up Your Winter with this Roasted Cauliflower & Garlic Soup

Soups and stews are a year-round favorite of mine, and not surprisingly, they become my staple during the cooler months. My current MO is to daydream a healthy concoction (a lot of garlic was on the list to boost the immune system and protect against colds, which tend to show up this time of year), and then do a little research to see if anyone else has done something similar. Pureed cauliflower (especially low carb, given that soups can be high carb) seemed like a mellow but healthy and hearty backdrop for the garlic. So with those criteria in mind… I stumbled upon this soup by Sweet Peas & Saffron  and made a few adjustments.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium head of cauliflower
• 2 heads of garlic, roasted
• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 onion, chopped coarsely
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped coarsely
• 1 rib of celery, chopped coarsely
• 2 tsp thyme, fresh or dried OK
• 4 cups stock {I used chicken, use vegetable for a vegetarian option}
• ¼-1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup coconut milk
• fresh pepper
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cayenne (or to taste)

Preparation:

Roasted garlic & cauliflower:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425°F.
2. Cut cauliflower into 1-2 inch sized florets. Toss with olive oil to coat {1 or so tbsp}.
3. Cut the top ¼ inch off the head of garlic. Wrap in aluminum foil, drizzle tops with 1 or so tbsp olive oil, and seal the top.
4. Arrange cauliflower and garlic on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes, or until lightly golden on tops. Add to the prepared stock {instructions below}

Soup:

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent and soft.
2. Add the carrot, celery, thyme and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer. Add the cauliflower and simmer until soft, around 20 more minutes. Add the roasted garlic, after cooling slightly, by squeezing the head until the cloves pop out.
3. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup for a minute until completely smooth.
4. Add the coconut milk, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper, then salt and pepper {to taste}.

Alternatives:

• Garlic Lovers – add as much garlic as your heart desires. We used 2 bulbs and the garlic didn’t dominate the flavor.
• Vegan – Use veggie stock instead of chicken stock and coconut milk in place of milk.

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