Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Soup

Living in New England hot soup on a cold snowy day is the perfect accompaniment to a salad for a heathy filling lunch. I like to make soups that are flavorful and healthy. I altered the ingredients in this soup, using almond milk instead of cow's milk. The almond milk adds just enough smoothness to the soup. I will warn you I love garlic. If you don't want as much garlic you can add only four roasted garlic cloves: Roasted garlic has a more mellow flavor, not as pungent as boiled or sautéed.  


3 tablespoons olive oil

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

3 leeks, thinly sliced, just the white part

1 bulb garlic, roasted and peeled* 

3 cups vegetable stock 

1/2 cup almond milk, unsweetened

1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.

Add cauliflower, leeks, and garlic; sauté until the vegetables have caramelized (roughly 15 minutes).

Add stock and reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the cauliflower florets are soft and tender.

Puree the mixture in a blender until smooth.  Then, pour the soup back into the pot. Add salt, pepper, and thyme.

Stir in almond milk and simmer for 1-2 minutes.

 Serve immediately. Makes 4-6 servings

* Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice off the top each head of garlic to expose some of the cloves inside. Place the heads on a piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap in the foil. Roast until cloves are lightly browned and tender, about 30 minutes.