Spicy Roasted Cauliflower Soup

The Why:

I live in Arizona, and we're notorious for our heat. So when a few days ago, we actually started having autumn-like weather (for here, at least!), the cooler temps were just screaming "SOUP!" to me.

I've always been a big soup fan, ever since my mom introduced me to the one of a kid's top ten meals: the soup and sandwich. To this day, even though my tastes have expanded -- and even somewhat upscaled -- there's almost nothing more comforting to me than to settle down with a cup of steaming hot soup and a grilled sandwich.

I got a head of cauliflower in my basket on Saturday, and I wanted to use it before it turned because I really do like cauliflower. (As you'll probably come to see, there is no vegetable I've ever tried -- except for green bell peppers -- that I just don't like). I'm also a huge fan of roasted vegetables, so I thought that a roasted cauliflower soup, with a little kick of spice, would be the perfect solution for my cool-weather soup craving.

As a bonus, this soup is rich and creamy, but doesn't have a speck of cream in it. So I'm putting this one in the healthy pile! Of course, you can certainly add milk or cream at the end to finish it up, if you want, but I encourage you to taste it without it. I thought about adding a little Mexican crema, but after a taste, I decided it just didn't need it. Also, if you're a cheese head, as I am, you can add some grated cheese of your choice to melt in when you serve it.

The How:

Spicy Roasted Cauliflower Soup

1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 or 4 garlic cloves (I use way more, but I'm a garlic freak)

½ to 1 whole medium onion, rough chopped

fresh thyme leaves

fresh or dried tarragon

salt

EVOO

1 32 oz box of organic chicken stock (I use Trader Joe's brand)

chipotle in adobo, plus sauce

Toss cauliflower, potatoes, garlic cloves, and onion in EVOO. Spread out on a foil-lined baking pan, the sprinkle with salt, thyme leaves, and tarragon. Roast at 425 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, until cauliflower starts to brown and crisp around the edges.

Put roasted vegetables in a pot with about ½ the box of stock. Cut up desired amount of chipotle pepper(s) and add. Blend with immersion blender until smooth (or blend in batches in a blender after it cools a bit). Add more chicken stock about ½ cup at a time until soup is desired consistency (I used the whole box).

Put soup on stove and heat on medium / medium low. If more spiciness is desired, add chipotle sauce a little at a time until desired spice level is reached. Heat through.

* If additional creaminess is desired, add a little heavy cream, milk, or Mexican crema at the end and stir until incorporated. Finish with a little truffle oil when served (optional).

Serve with parmesan garlic bread or your favorite grilled sandwich.