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)

Start with a head of cauliflower...

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. 

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.

The cauliflower is done when it is lightly browned. 

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.

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.

Add the cauliflower to the broth and bring to a boil.

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!

After blending, add in the cheese and stir until melted. 

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?