Roasted Cauliflower and Carrot Soup
I use a blender to get this silky smooth, but a food processor or hand blender might also work. Be careful not to burn yourself opening and pouring from the blender because the mixture can be super-heated.
I use a blender to get this silky smooth, but a food processor or hand blender might also work. Be careful not to burn yourself opening and pouring from the blender because the mixture can be super-heated.
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 head cauliflower large
- 1 onion cut into wedges
- 2 carrot large, cut and halved lengthwise
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
- 4 cups vegetable broth fat free
- 1 potato large, peeled and cubed
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
- 4 drops truffle oil (optional)
- smoked spanish paprika (to garnish)
- Carbohydrate 26.31419875 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.35480125 g
- Fiber 6.16785002052784 g
- Protein 4.67508 g
- Saturated Fat 0.096135 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (493g)
- Sodium 1027.33214322917 mg
- Sugar 20.1463487294722 g
- Trans Fat 0.0960275 g
- Calories 117 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 400 deg F.
- Cut the cauliflower into florets and place them with the carrots into a large baking dish (or lipped cookie tray) sprayed with oil. Lightly spray the top of the cauliflower with oil. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle the onion wedges and garlic on top of the cauliflower, spray lightly with olive oil, and return to the oven. Cook for 20-25 more minutes, stirring once halfway through.
- While the vegetables are roasting, heat the vegetable broth and add the chopped potato. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Cook covered on very low until cauliflower is ready.
- Add the cauliflower mixture to the broth. Puree it, in batches, in the blender until very smooth. Return it to the pot and add the nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Just before serving, stir in a few drops of truffle oil, if desired. Ladle into bowls and serve, sprinkled with smoked Spanish paprika.
Staggering the Roast
Roasting vegetables requires strict adherence to density rather than adding everything to the baking sheet at once. Cauliflower florets and thick carrot halves need a full twenty-minute head start at 400 degrees Fahrenheit before delicate aromatics enter the hot zone. Onions and peeled garlic cloves contain less structural mass and will char bitterly if subjected to the full cooking time. Add the alliums midway through, stirring once at the twenty-five-minute mark to ensure even caramelization across every surface without scorching the garlic.
Simmering the Starch
While the roasting pan occupies the oven, managing the potato and broth on the stovetop dictates the final texture of the soup. Cubing a large potato into uniform pieces ensures it softens completely within the twenty-minute window required to finish the roasted vegetables. Keeping the pot covered traps steam, which maintains a constant simmer on very low heat and prevents the vegetable broth from evaporating prematurely before the roasted components arrive.
Blending Safely
Transferring boiling liquid and hot vegetables into a sealed container creates dangerous internal pressure that can blow the lid off a blender. Working in small batches prevents the carafe from filling more than halfway, and removing the center feeder cap allows steam to escape safely under a folded kitchen towel. When multiplying this batch for larger crowds, process the solids with just enough liquid to create a vortex before thinning the mixture back down in the stockpot.
