Roasted Cauliflower and Leek Soup is so thick and creamy, it's like eating a bowl of mashed potatoes. And seriously, who doesn't want to eat a giant bowl of mashed potatoes? This soup is my take on a classic French soup, vichyssoise. Vichyssoise is composed of potatoes and leeks and is served chilled. Traditionally, vichyssoise contains heavy cream, but the cauliflower in this dish makes the soup so velvety, you won't know it's dairy-free.
Soups are my go to when the leaves starting changing colors and falling to the ground. As of recently, we've been enjoying my Quick and Easy Carrot Ginger Soup but I've been needing a change. When I opened up my CSA box and saw a giant head of cauliflower, I knew right away I wanted to make soup with it. I wanted to make the cauliflower stand out in a dish rather than tossing it in oil and roasting it like I normally do.
What is a CSA?
Now, you may be asking yourself "what is a CSA?" CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Not all CSA's are the same but for us, we give money to a local organic farmer during the spring time and in exchange, they give us a big box of beautiful vegetables and fruits once a week for five months. We also participate in a winter time CSA that is six weeks long. There are many benefits to a CSA. A few include directly supporting a farmer while removing the middle man and as a consumer, we get to know the farmer and eat foods that are in season. I personally find this to be an important and such a special relationship as we have become so disconnected with our food system.
I truly believe certain vegetables are in season at the same time because they work well together in dishes. There is something special about picking up a box of vegetables that are hand picked by a farmer and being surprised to what you will receive. This was our first year joining a CSA and I am already looking forward to signing up next year.
Roasted Cauliflower and Leek Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp reserved
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 large head cauliflower about 5 cups
- 1 cup leeks white part only
- 1 quart vegetable stock
- ½ tbsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
- Chop the cauliflower into bite sizes florets and toss in the three tablespoons of olive oil
- Place the cauliflower on a baking tray and roast in the oven until the florets are brown and fork tender, about 45 minutes
- While the cauliflower is roasting, chop the white part of the leek and place in a strainer. Run under cool water, removing any dirt
- In a medium soup pot, add the reserved one tablespoon of olive oil, the leeks and the garlic. Cook until the leeks are softened, about ten minutes
- Once the leeks are softened, add the roasted cauliflower, vegetable stock, salt and black pepper. Cook on low for ten minutes
- With an immersion blender, blend the soup until very smooth. If you do not have an immersion blender, place the soup, in two batches, into a blender and blend
- I like to top my soup with toasted pumpkin seeds for an added crunch. Enjoy!
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