Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Pale and soothing, this soup will warm you up on a chilly winter night. Easy and quick to prepare, it is a light dinner or a delightful starter course made with seasonal veggies.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup
1 medium size head of cauliflower
2 cloves of garlic
8 to 10 fingerling potatoes, (white) or 3 to 4 new potatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons chicken stock paste
3 cups water
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 1/2 ounces Romano cheese, grated
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut cauliflower into florets, discarding tough core. Lightly smash garlic, just hard enough to break the skin. Clean fingerling potatoes (or cut new potatoes into quarters). Pour olive oil into a roasting pan and toss veggies to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Heat stock paste and water in a large sauce pan. Spoon in roasted cauliflower and potatoes. Squeeze garlic out of it's skin into the pot as well. Puree with a immersion blender. In a skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat and stir in the flour. Cook for 1 minute. Add milk, whisking continually. Cook and stir until thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in 2 ounces of the grated Romano. Mix cheese sauce into cauliflower puree and stir to combine. Serve hot with a drizzle of olive oil and extra cheese topping each portion. 

Hints: I use regular white cauliflower but you could try the new purple or orange varieties. Then I would use purple fingerling potatoes or sweet potato. The chicken stock paste is wonderful but you could substitute any chicken broth for the paste and water. Roasting the veggies will add great depth to the soup, make sure they are beginning to caramelize a bit before you remove them from the oven. Check for seasoning and add salt or white pepper if you need to before serving. This soup holds well and can be made a day ahead--the flavors meld well over night in the fridge. Re-heat to serve. You could make the cheese sauce with olive oil instead of butter if you like. A different cheese could be used, like Parmesan or even Swiss. A different flavor profile can be achieved by adding 2 or 3 tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar to finish the dish.

A wonderful soup is a fabulous way to end a long day. Whether you have been at work or cleaning house or shoveling snow or shopping and wrapping, a quick and delicious meal will help you wind down in a healthy way. If you are lucky, there will be leftovers for tomorrow.