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Roasted Cauliflower Soup

I hibernated a bit for the winter but I was still playing around in the kitchen. I have a huge back log of recipes that I hope to get back into the rhythm of sharing! To kick it off – a family favourite, warming soup with layers of flavours. The key is taking the time to roast the cauliflower and garlic because this brings depth and more character. This is one of my favourite Sunday dinners served with a nice, crusty bread.

Total Prep Time: 1 hour

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 head Cauliflower, cut into florets

6-8 Garlic cloves

Olive oil, Salt & Pepper

1 tbsp Butter

1 Onion, diced

6 cups Vegetable broth

1/2 tsp Parsley

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1/2 cup 10% Cream

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400F. Place cauliflower and garlic in large roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and add salt and pepper, and then toss to mix well. Bake in the oven 35-40 minutes, until cauliflower softens and starts to brown on the edges.

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the broth, roasted cauliflower and garlic, and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add the parsley and nutmeg. Use an immersion blender to puree well until completely smooth. Add the cream and stir. Adjust with more broth if too thick and more salt & pepper to taste. Serve with fresh bread!

Choose your own adventure:

More garlic, less garlic…

Leave out the cream for a lighter version.

Play around with the herbs. Maybe marjoram or fresh tarragon instead of the parsley?

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Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

My daughter loves soup and she especially loves apples, so imagine her delight when she learned I could combine the two! This recipe is super easy to make and is hearty enough to be a main, or pair it with a grilled cheese sandwich for an extra comforting meal.

Total Prep Time: 80 minutes

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1                Butternut squash (large)

1                Onion, diced

2                Apples (McIntosh or other tart variety), diced

6-8 cups    Vegetable broth

1 tsp          Ginger (fresh or powdered)

2 tsp          Turmeric

400ml        Light coconut milk

Olive Oil

Salt & pepper

Directions:

Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and rub the open halves with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast, open halves down, at 375° F for 50 minutes, or until tender.

In a large pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil and lightly sauté onion (and ginger if using fresh). Add apple, squash (scoop out of shell after roasting) and 6 cups of broth, and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat, add ginger (if using powder) and turmeric, and purée with immersion blender. Slowly pour in coconut milk and stir until well combined. Add more broth until you reach your desired consistency. Enjoy!

Choose your own adventure:

You could try different kinds of apple and squash.

Play with the ratios of squash, broth and coconut milk to make it creamier, or omit the milk for a lighter version.

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Creamy Mushroom Soup

Mushroom soup is one of my favourites when the weather starts to cool down and this one is really easy to make. I prefer to use cremini mushrooms because they have an earthier, nuttier flavour than white mushrooms and the fresh thyme really makes the flavours pop.

Total Prep Time: 50 minutes

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 tbsp          Olive oil

4-5               Garlic cloves, minced

1                  Leek (large), washed thoroughly and thinly sliced

450g           Cremini mushrooms, sliced

10 cups      Mushroom broth

1 tsp           Ground marjoram

1/4 cup      Nutritional yeast

3 tbsp        Fresh thyme, removed from stems

1 cup         Milk or cream

Fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Heat oil in large pot over low-med heat. Add garlic and sauté until lightly browned. Add leek and sauté with lid on until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Add mushrooms, 8 cups broth and marjoram to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20-25 minutes. Stir in the nutritional yeast. Use an immersion blender to puree or transfer to a blender in batches. Once fully pureed and back in the pot, add the fresh thyme and milk. Stir to heat through and season with fresh ground pepper. If the soup is too thick, start adding the remaining mushroom broth (or water) a little bit at a time until desired consistency is reached.

Enjoy with fresh, crusty bread.

Choose your own adventure:

Spice it up with some cayenne.

Omit the milk or cream for a vegan option.

Swap thyme for tarragon for a slightly different flavour.

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Minestrone

This is the first soup I ever made without a recipe. I’ve played around with it a bit but I always go back to this version and crave it every time the weather starts to cool off. It makes a perfect, easy Sunday evening dinner when paired with fresh Italian bread to soak up the broth.

Total Prep Time: 50 minutes

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 tbsp       Olive oil

1                Onion, diced

2 cups       Carrots, diced

2                Zucchinis, cut into half moon, or quarter moon, discs

1 can         Chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 can         Diced tomatoes

8 cups       Low sodium vegetable broth

4 cups       Kale, leaves torn and removed from stalks

Salt, pepper & cayenne

Directions:

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add carrots, zucchini, chickpeas, tomatoes and broth. Cover and bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-high to let simmer.

While soup is coming to a boil, prep the kale. Add kale leaves to pot and continue to simmer, partly covered, until veggies are tender, around 30-35 minutes.

Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and cayenne as desired.

Choose your own adventure:

Omit the kale if you aren’t a fan or don’t feel like having a leafy green texture in your soup. You could swap it for celery, a more traditional minestrone ingredient.

I used to use quite a bit of cayenne but I’ve had to tone it down now that I’m feeding a toddler. The soup changes drastically in character as you dial up the cayenne.

Another traditional addition would be pasta or rice if you want something a little heavier.

Try different beans. Sometimes I do 50/50 chickpeas and black beans. White kidney beans also go well.