Garlic and Rosemary Cauliflower Soup

For years I gardened and never even thought to grow cauliflower.

My hubby suggested that I grow it a couple of years ago and my response was, “Why?”

I thought cauliflower was just a wasted veggie. Not even that good for you. Whoops. Cauliflower is packed with good stuff.

And, after trying it last year, I discovered it tastes really, really good when you grow it yourself. Probably should have known that given that everything else in the garden tastes better than anything at the store.

The only downside to cauliflower is that it comes it all at once. One day I look and there’s just big leaves and the next day I have 6 huge heads of cauliflower. And it doesn’t last long in the fridge. And it can really stink up the house if you don’t cook it up.

My solution is cauliflower soup. I’ve stolen ideas from several recipes, added my own touches and love, love, love this soup. Cauliflower has never smelled so good.

My oldest son, game to try just about anything, made a horrible face when I said I was making cauliflower soup. Boy was he surprised when he walked in to that wonderful roasted garlic smell wafting through the house. The soup totally won him over.

Given my enormous quantity of cauliflower, I make up a huge batch of the soup. I serve some for dinner, serve some more the next day and freeze a bunch for later.  Just skip the sour cream and Parmesan step when freezing.

Ingredients List

Part 1

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2-3 large cauliflower heads (broken into florets)
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Part 2

• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 whole carrots, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced

Part 3

• 2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary (chopped)
• 3 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tsp salt

Part 4

• 8 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
• 3 cups half-and-half
• 4 Tbsp butter

Part 5

• Light sour cream
• Tabasco
• Shredded Parmesan

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Toss together cauliflower, garlic and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour into a baking dish and bake for about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is just starting to brown.

Meanwhile, in a large stock pot, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Add celery, onion and carrot and saute until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.

When cauliflower, garlic, celery, onions and carrots are cooked, put in a food processor or blender and puree.

Add  the veggies back into the pot along with with chicken broth, salt and rosemary. Bring it all to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together flour and half and half.

In a medium sauce pan over low heat, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add the flour/half-and-half mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly.

Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for and additional 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.

Just before serving, place a tablespoon of the sour cream in a serving bowl. Add hot soup into the bowl and stir to combine with the sour cream.

Sprinkle a little Parmesan on top, add a few shakes of Tabasco and serve.