Roasted cauliflower soup– without the cream!

Most of my recipe choices are influenced by someone or something that has happened in my life. These don’t have to be catastrophic or major events, but more simple moments: being at home and realizing I only have a few ingredients in the fridge to work with; receiving a recipe recommendation from someone; or talking to others about their food choices which triggers a need to create a dish that would work for them. Regardless of how I stumble upon a recipe, I will cook it with that moment in mind. This is great, except for when I make a terrible recipe… then I end up feeling sorry for whoever was associated with it.

RELATED: The swap: mashed potato versus cauliflower

Over the past week, I’ve been hearing a lot about cauliflower. It’s a great ingredient used to reduce carbohydrates. If done properly, it can be used to make bread, pizza crusts, Alfredo sauces, cheese sauces– the list goes on. A seemingly boring vegetable, it has the ability to take on robust flavours, add creaminess to sauces, and bulk up vegetable intake. Making cauliflower breads can be a lot of effort because a lot of the moisture has to be removed in order to bake an actual loaf, not just a square of mush. So this week, I opted for a simpler recipe that would be appreciated during the gale storms we’ve been having on the west coast.

Cauliflower soups can be loaded with cream and cheese, but without can be just as delicious if you take the time to prepare the ingredients properly. Instead of just throwing a bunch of ingredients into a pot, boiling them until the cauliflower softens, blending them, and stirring the cream/cheese in, I took it a step further. Roasting the cauliflower with sweet potato, garlic, mushroom and sage-infused olive oil, and rosemary sea salt, gives it a much bolder flavour. Caramelizing the onions takes time, but again, adds another level of flavour. Then, add in whatever herbs and spices you desire, along with some vegetable broth, and blend everything up to make a deliciously creamy soup, without using any actually cream.

Simple Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:

– 1 sweet potato

– 1 head of cauliflower

– ½ tbsp olive oil

– 1 tsp sea salt

– 3 cloves of garlic, minced

– 1 onion, diced

– 1 tsp olive oil

– pinch of salt

– 1-2 tsp balsamic vinegar

– 2 cups water

– 2 cups vegetable broth

– salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the over to 400°

2. Chop the cauliflower florets and sweet potato (thin) and toss in olive oil, sea salt and garlic.

3. Place cauliflower, sweet potato mixture onto a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 mins.

4. While baking, dice the onion and place it in a frying pan with olive oil over a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.

5. Cook the onions for about 10 minutes, then sprinkle some salt over and continue cooking for another 30 minutes or so.

6. After 30 minutes, add a splash of balsamic vinegar to finish the caramelizing and de-glaze the pan.

7. Once the onions and cauliflower are finished cooking, bring a pot of water and vegetable broth to a boil.

8. Add in the onions and cauliflower and cook for about five minutes. Ladle the soup into the blender and puree to your desired consistency. For a thinner soup, add more broth or milk.

9. Add salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy.