Roasting vegetables is incredibly easy – toss in a little oil then slide into a toasty oven. Done. Simple. But don’t let the simplicity fool you, the smell and taste of roasted vegetables can’t be beat. They get sweetly smoky while keeping just the right amount of crunch. Because the flavors concentrate in the oven, I decided to roast off some veggies to make a soup. After raiding the fridge (we really need to go buy some groceries), I decided to use carrots and cauliflower. Carrots and cauliflower you say? Yes! Believe it or not, this combination makes a wonderful soup (not to mention healthy).
Carrots are sweetly delicious, but when you roast them…my god, they taste so fancy. The same goes for cauliflower! Roasting this mild tasting raw veggie will change your mind if you’ve ever had any qualms about cauliflower. It turns it into something else entirely, with a bold and sultry flavor that perfectly complements the carrots. The result is a thick, creamy, tasty soup that you’ll definitely make time and time again. Enjoy!
1 ¼ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
11 oz carrots (peeled and chopped into chunks)
11 oz cauliflower florets (≈ ½ head)
1 medium onion (quartered)
4.5 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon butter
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Toss the carrots, cauliflower, and onion in the oil with a pinch of salt/pepper and garlic powder (I use baby carrots to avoid the task of peeling and chopping haha). Lay the veggies out on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, mix the veggies up, then cook for 15 minutes more (total cook time: 30 minutes). Remove from oven.
Put the roasted vegetables in a pot over medium heat.
Add the vegetable broth, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt/pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf.
Puree the soup with an immersion blender or in a food processor (in batches). Return to the pot.
Add in the butter, mix until melted. If needed, add additional salt/pepper. LIGHTLY sprinkle on some garlic powder. Mix.
Serve and enjoy!
