Well, it's finally soup season folks. Personally, I couldn't be more thrilled. There's something about this time of year – the chill in the air, the sudden need for scarves, the shorter days, the cold rain – that makes me want to rush home and stir a pot of soup. I've taken to making enormous pots every Sunday, so that on gloomy, cold autumn weeknights I don't have to wait for my supper.
Since I fancy myself something of a French woman in training, of course I start every meal with a simply-prepared vegetable course: grated carrots in vinaigrette, a little cabbage coleslaw or perhaps some savory corn pancakes. These days, I always follow this with soup. Butternut squash, Parisian mushroom, mixed vegetable, potato and leek, beef brisket in broth with noodles. But the most comforting recipe in my repertoire is this creamy cauliflower and garlic soup. Unbelievably tasty and satisfying.
I can't say that it's a lightening-quick meal to prepare, since it has multiple steps and a cooling period – so please understand that this is a weekend project. But I can tell you that your efforts will be rewarded all week long, and you will thank yourself many times over as you sit down to steaming bowls of this soothing soup.
Roasted cauliflower and garlic soup
Adapted from Clean Start by Terry Walters
Serves 6
2 heads cauliflower
4 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for rubbing garlic
1 garlic bulb
1 cup diced sweet onion
2 tablespoons mirin
2 teaspoons sea salt
4-6 cups water
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
ground pepper, to taste
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Chop cauliflower and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil; toss to coat. Place on two parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Cut off top of garlic, rub entire bulb with oil and wrap in foil. Place all in oven and roast for about 1 hour, or until soft, tossing cauliflower occasionally. Remove from oven and set aside.
3. When garlic is cool enough to handle, separate cloves, peel, discard skins and set aside.
4. In large soup pot, over medium-high heat, saute onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add roasted cauliflower and garlic, mirin, salt and 4 cups of water. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Wait until soup cools and puree in blender. If soup is too pasty, add 1-2 cups of water until desired consistency is achieved.
5. Return to heat, stir in 1 tablespoon thyme leaves and pepper, to taste. Simmer 20 minutes to allow flavours to blend. Remove from heat and stir in remaining tablespoon of oil. Garnish with remaining thyme leaves and serve.
