Roasted Cauliflower and White Cheddar Soup

I love soup, especially during this ridiculously cold time of year. And out of all the soups I've made lately the one that most says “comfort food” to me is this roasted cauliflower and white cheddar soup. It’s rich. Creamy. Smooth. And so seriously good. 

Pureeing is a great way to create a rich and creamy soup without having to go too heavy on the dairy. I used fat free yogurt in this recipe in place of the heavy cream you would normally see. I prefer the texture of blending only half the soup and leaving the other half untouched. However, if you prefer to puree the entire batch…go for it!

Roasting the cauliflower is what really takes this soup to the next level. The cauliflower and onions caramelize and darken around the edges and it brings such an amazing depth of flavor to the soup. 

Roasted Cauliflower and White Cheddar Soup

Recipe adapted from Cooking Classy

Ingredients:
1 large head cauliflower cored and chopped into small, bite size pieces

1 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp dried rosemary
3 Tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14 oz) can vegetable broth

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 bay leaf
4 oz shredded sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
• Place cauliflower and chopped onions on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and toss to evenly coat, then spread into an even layer and season with salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary. Bake in preheated oven until golden, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add in garlic and cook until fragrant. While whisking, slowly pour in white wine. Cook for about 1-2 minutes and then pour in vegetable broth. 
• Add in the bay leaf, roasted cauliflower and onions, and season with salt and pepper to taste. 
• Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce heat to low. Remove bay leaf.
• Carefully ladle about half the soup into a blender and puree until smooth. 
• Add pureed soup back into the pot and stir in yogurt. Add shredded cheese and stir until completely melted. 

Roasted Edamame

I came across this recipe in a Rachael Ray magazine a while back and then saw it again on Pinterest. It caught my eye and I realized it's sort of like the roasted chickpeas I made a few months ago. 

This little snack or appetizer is smoky, salty, and very addictive! They're crunchy on the outside and slightly chewy in the middle. It is super simple to make...just throw all of the ingredients in a bowl, mix, and spread them out on a baking sheet. 

Roasted Edamame
Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh or frozen edamame

*If using frozen edamame, rinse beans under water and place on paper towels to dry completely. If using fresh edamame, dry the beans as well as possible.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon red chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place edamame in a mixing bowl. Combine olive oil, salt, pepper, chili powder, and cumin. Drizzle over edamame and stir to combine. Place on a large baking sheet and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring once or twice, until beans are completely dry and slightly crunchy.

Baked Penne with Roasted Summer Veggies

This pasta is seriously bursting with every summer flavor possible.  It has a handful of summer vegetables including summer squash, zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes. To add a depth to the sauce, I added some homemade pesto, Greek yogurt, and sun dried tomatoes. There are so many flavors going on in this dish...and it's healthy!

Baked Penne with Roasted Summer Veggies (Recipe adapted from Food Network)

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, quartered and cut into cubes

2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into cubes

2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into cubes

1 yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tbsp sun dried tomatoes, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 lb whole wheat penne pasta

3 cups good marinara sauce

1/4 cup homemade or store bought pesto

3/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt

1 cup Italian blend shredded cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 cup grated mozzarella plus more for topping

 

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• On a baking sheet, toss the eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning. Roast until tender, about 20-30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta for about 8- 10 minutes. DO NOT OVER COOK.
• In large mixing bowl combine marinara sauce, pesto, sun dried tomatoes, and Greek yogurt. Mix until combined.
• In a separate bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted veggies, sauce mixture, Italian cheeses, Parmesan, and 1/4 cup mozzarella. Gently mix until the pasta is coated with sauce and the ingredients are combined.
• Pour the pasta into a 9x13-inch pan. Top with some extra mozzarella. Bake until the top is golden and the cheese melts.

Roasted Tomato Soup

There's nothing better than a yummy bowl of soup on a cold day. I stumbled upon this recipe at Smitten Kitchen and couldn't think of anything better to have for lunch. I mean, who doesn't like a combination of a grilled cheese and tomato soup?? I pretty much had everything on hand to make this, except the stock. So, I improvised and made my own vegetable stock! It turned out perfect and the recipe is also below. Enjoy!

 

Soup

3 pounds plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 small cloves garlic, unpeeled

1 onion, quartered
1/4 teaspoon (or more to taste) dried crushed red pepper
4 cups vegetable stock

Grilled Cheese Top
4 1-inch slices from a large loaf of whole wheat bread toasted until hard and lightly buttered on one side
1 cup grated cheddar

Make soup: Preheat oven to 400°F. Place tomatoes, cut side up, on large baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Drizzle tomatoes with olive oil. Add peeled garlic and onions. Roast until tomatoes are brown and tender (garlic will be very tender), about 1 hour. Cool slightly.

Transfer garlic, onions, and tomatoes and any accumulated juices to a food processor and pulse machine on and off until tomatoes are a chunky puree. Transfer tomatoes to medium pot and crushed red pepper and stock and bring to a boil Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and adjust seasonings to taste.

Create cheddar lid: Preheat broiler on high. Arrange four ovenproof soup bowls or large mugs on a large, foil-lined baking sheet. Float toast slice(s) in each bowl, buttered side up and divide grated cheese generously over top. Broil soups on tray for about 3-5 minutes, until cheese on top is bubbling and brown at the edges. Serve immediately.

Vegetable Stock

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
• Several sprigs fresh thyme (I used dried thyme)
• Several sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 dried bay leaf

1. In a medium stockpot over medium-high heat, melt butter and olive oil. Add onion, and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 8 minutes. Add carrots and celery; cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Add 4 cups cold water, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer about 1 hour; liquid should be highly flavored.
3. Remove from heat, and strain stock through a fine sieve, pressing on vegetables to extract juices. Discard vegetables. Stock can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.