Healthy Roasted Garlic And Cauliflower Soup

It's soup season! Nothing is more soul-satisfying and comforting than a hot bowl of soup, and soup can quell your appetite faster than most foods, for fewer calories, because of its high liquid content. This creamy (but low-calorie) cauliflower soup is a great make-ahead idea for a Sunday afternoon, to provide you with figure-friendly lunches all week. It's also easy to make-ahead and serve as a rich but not too filling appetizer for a dinner party. A garnish of finely chopped crispy bacon & parsely would put it over the top. A drizzle of cream in a pretty shape (channel your inner barista) would be great in a pinch, too!

Soup is great for cleaning out the fridge, isn't it? Cauliflower tends to be one of those veggies that languishes in my veggie drawer, and one recent head met its fate as the primary ingredient in this super yummy (and pretty jam-packed with goodness) roasted garlic and cauliflower soup. That week I believe I made three different types of soup. I finally stopped when I heard "soup again, huh?..." one time too many.

Serves 4-6

1 head garlic

4 T coconut oil or olive oil (bacon fat is marvellous if you have any laying around...)

1 head cauliflower, washed and cut into florets

1 onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

2 cups no-sodium chicken stock

2 T fresh thyme leaves

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cups half-and-half or table cream (optional) **

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut the top off the head of garlic but leave the head together and top with 1 T oil. Place garlic, oil side up, in a baking dish and bake 30 minutes.

Remove baking dish from oven and add cauliflower florets and 2 T oil, toss and return to oven for 30 more minutes (stir partway through to avoid burning/drying out cauliflower).

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 T oil in a large pot over medium heat; saute onion and celery until softened, about 10 minutes.

Once garlic has cooled, combine everything in the pot and simmer together on low heat for 5-10 minutes.

Use immersion blender to puree.

If using cream, stir into hot soup.

Season with salt and pepper.

** Confession time: I did have cream in the house because I drink my coffee with cream, so I used half-and-half to make the soup more appetizing for my little ones as well as to cool down the soup so I could serve it immediately. You may add the cream to the bowls individually and keep it out of the communal pot if some diners (probably you...) prefer dairy-free or lighter fare.