Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Soup

As far as I’m concerned, roasted garlic is one of the greatest things to ever come out of a kitchen. The way that a little bit of heat transforms pungent raw garlic into something sweet and mild is nothing short of magical. It adds such a lovely layered flavor to anything you put it in, like this Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Soup, for instance. It’s creamy and velvety without relying on any dairy products at all and has a deliciously sweet and mild garlic flavor.

While the texture is creamy and velvety, it’s a soup you can feel good about eating. After all, it’s mostly made up of vegetables and broth, and a few herbs to bring all the flavors into the right balance. The main players are cauliflower and garlic, but there are also carrots to add some sweetness and color, and some thyme and rosemary too.

You start by roasting two whole heads of garlic, which may seem like a lot, but I promise that the soup handles it well. It’s the perfect compliment to cauliflower, which is a master at taking on any flavor it’s paired with. You roast the garlic while the rest of the ingredients simmer and squeeze the cloves in at the very end of cooking before you puree everything together. It’s a simple soup, but it’s one of those recipes that just goes to show that the simple things in life are often the best.

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Soup

45 minutes to prepare serves 6

Ingredients

  • 2 heads of garlic
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 large head cauliflower, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Slice the top off each head of garlic, exposing the cloves but leaving the head connected. Drizzle garlic with olive oil and wrap in aluminum foil. Bake until cloves are soft and golden, about 35 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Once hot, add onion and carrot and cook until soft, 5-6 minutes.
  4. Add cauliflower, broth, thyme, and rosemary. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered until vegetables are tender, 20-25 minutes.
  5. When garlic is done roasting, squeeze from cloves and add to pot to simmer.
  6. Using an immersion blender or regular blender, puree mixture until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Running on Real Food.

Whizzco for LPE