It’s that time of year again! Tonight is the night of my annual Hocus Pocus dinner party where we sit around the fireplace and watch Max and Dani’s adventures in Salem, Massachusetts on Halloween night. It’s not my favorite Halloween movie, but it’s a great movie for the entire family to watch together. Not too scary, not too silly–overall just a great family-friendly movie.
Anyway, tonight I’m serving Hard Cider Brats, a simple Caesar salad (from the grocery store), and homemade Apple Oatmeal Cookies. But to begin with, I’m serving this new recipe I’ve been playing with: Roasted Cauliflower Soup.
I had this soup recently at my favorite restaurant, and I’ve adapted three recipes (one from my old Betty Crocker Cookbook and two on the internet) to get close to the original. I think I’ve done a pretty good job. The only thing I might add tonight is a dash of light cream and drop of olive oil on top to finish it off. I hope you all have a great October weekend and enjoy the Fall weather!
Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 2 heads cauliflower broken into florets
- olive oil cooking spray
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 large leek washed, peeled, and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 cups water
- 4 cups chicken broth
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
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Fill a large bowl with cold, lightly salted water. Stir in the cauliflower florets and soak for 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
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Adjust the oven rack to 6" from the top of the oven and preheat the low broiler. Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Layer the cauliflower on the baking sheet evenly and spray with the spray olive oil. Broil for about 25 minutes, until lightly browned. But watch it so it doesn't burn.
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Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat and saute the onions until they begin to caramelize, about 15 minutes. Stir in the roasted cauliflower and garlic and toss over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the water and chicken broth.
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Simmer, covered, for 40 minutes or until all the veggies are soft enough to be pureed. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth and silky Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
