Roasted cauliflower soup

Before Pinterest I had my own version of keeping track of recipes that I wanted to make: a Word document. So back then, when I wanted to try out a new recipe I'd scan through my file to see what sounded good. But now, with Pinterest, I scan through my photos to see what looks good.

Which makes meal planning that much more exciting. I mean who wouldn't want to make this creamy roasted cauliflower soup after seeing this photo?! I actually made the soup within days of "pinning" the recipe- which is pretty close to record breaking as recipes usually sit on my "to-make" list for years.

This photo and recipe are from the blog Two Peas and their Pod 

and all credit belongs to them. It's a gorgeous food blog- check it out!

Now usually I don't post other people's pictures here- but I wanted you guys to really see this dish and have the same I-must-make-this-right-now feeling I had when I first saw it. Because I can guarantee you wouldn't have that feeling when looking at my photo. And I didn't want my picture to ruin it for you...

I blame the boy's oddly lit apartment and subpar iPhone pics for this horrible photo

... because this dish was fabulous! The soup was surprisingly complex, smooth, creamy (even though it lacked cream), and light. Originally I made it as a side dish to a smoked pork chop, which worked beautifully. That first day we ate it warm, with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese that nicely melted from the soup's heat. But to be honest, I think it tasted better in the next few days, once the flavors had a chance to settle and meld together. It even tasted amazing eaten straight out of the fridge.

So whether you like your soup served hot, warm, room temperature, or cold- this might be the perfect soup for you.

Yours in wanting to share better photos of her cooking, but being limited by evening light and not always having the chance to take photos with my nice camera in my own apartment,
Jacqueline

Roasted cauliflower soup, very slightly adapted from Two Peas in their Pod

Note: the original recipe called for 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. I'm pretty sure I added close to 2 cups, possibly more, so I upped the cheese in the recipe below. The cheese makes the soup a bit more filling and "thick" but you don't have to use as much as I did. In fact, you can easily eliminate the cheese completely, it was creamy enough without it. But I love me some cheese!

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower, chopped into pieces ~2" in diameter
3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium to large onion, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
3 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1.5 tsp dried thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried rosemary
1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese, more or less to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. On a foil-lined baking sheet, toss the cauliflower and garlic cloves in the olive oil until well coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spread cauliflower onto a single layer and roast until the cauliflower is until golden brown, about 30 minutes (or more if you want a deeper flavor). Set aside. 
2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the onion and celery and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Chop up the roasted garlic. Add the garlic, roasted cauliflower, vegetable broth, thyme, and rosemary and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so that the mixture simmers and cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 20-25 minutes. 
3. Using an immersion blender (or in batches in a blender or food processor), blend the soup until smooth. Add the cheddar cheese and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with a bit of extra cheese, and serve warm.