Free Time!!!

Let me set the scene for you.  It's Wednesday at 10 am.  I realize I have no place I need to be or anything I need to be doing for an hour and a half.  How has this happened?  I have no clue.  I have a sneaking suspicion that I have forgotten that I should be somewhere doing something.  I decide to ignore that thought and enjoy the free time, rather than walking around aimlessly waiting for the school to call me and tell me that one of my minis has ralphed all over.

I crank up the tunes to my favorite Pandora station, flip on the fireplace, and head to the kitchen.  Since it's cloudy with a high of 20 and snowing today, there was really only one thing I could consider cooking.  Soup.  And I knew I had to make this soup recipe that I got from my friend Jami.  My friend Jami lives in Seattle, which means she has very good taste in food and clothing.  So I get very excited whenever I get a new recipe from Jami.  I get equally excited when she messages telling me I should buy things she sees on my pinterest boards.

Roasted Cauliflower and Aged Cheddar Soup

• 1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 2 tablespoons oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
• 3 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth or chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cups aged white cheddar, shredded
• 1 cup milk or cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Toss the cauliflower florets in the oil along with the salt and pepper and arrange them in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
2. Roast the cauliflower in a preheated 400F oven until lightly golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.
3. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat, add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
5. Add the broth, deglaze the pan, add the cauliflower, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
6. Puree the soup until it reaches your desired consistency with a stick blender.
7. Mix in the cheese, let it melt without bringing it to boil again.
8. Mix in the milk, season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

Chop up your cauliflower, get it oiled, salt and peppered, and roast it at 400.

Remove your roasted cauliflower from the oven.  Resist the urge to eat the entire pan.

Get your onions and garlic sauteed.  Add in your fresh thyme (which by the way, can be a total bit** at times, but don't cheat and used dried.  The fresh is worth the effort).

Add your broth (I used chicken) and your cauliflower.

Get the broth boiling and let it simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

At this point, you need to puree your soup.  Now, I may sound like I am bragging, but I had a big decision to make....do I use my Vitamix or my Breville food processor?  I went for the Vitamix since my Breville was filled with fresh shredded aged white cheddar. 

 Get your soup all pureed and then return it to the pan on low heat.

Add your cheese and stir until the cheese is melted.

Pour in your milk/cream.  I suggest adding the milk slowly in small amounts and tasting it between each addition.  I personally prefer the soup with a stronger cauliflower taste, so I use less milk.

Once the milk is added and the soup is warm, it is ready to be served.  

This soup is absolutely delish.  I served it with a loaf of garlic cheddar bread from Great Harvest, which took the dinner from delish to fantastic.  

I actually felt sorry for this girl, who got no soup....but she did enjoy frequent "snow snacks" throughout the day!