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. 

Crockpot French Onion Soup

I never order French Onion Soup...ever. But, for some reason I did on New Year's Eve. We went to dinner at Chops in Asheville, NC and it was probably the best soup I've had in awhile. Ever since I have been obsessed with making it. I found this recipe at Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body. I always have a ton of onions on hand since we add them to practically everything. I can’t believe how easy it was; just throw everything in the crockpot and you're done. 8 hours later...a rich and delicious soup with an ooey, gooey, and cheesy topping is waiting for you! The best way to eat this soup is with a tomato and mozzarella grilled cheese sandwich...oh yum!

Crockpot French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

4 medium sweet onions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons flour
8 ounces of beer
64 ounces of vegetable stock
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
french bread
mozzarella cheese, sliced

Directions:

Set your crock pot on high, then add onions, garlic, butter, salt and balsamic and mix until combined. Cover and let cook for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are a bit caramelized and brown on the edges. Add in flour, then stir thoroughly and let sit for 5 minutes. Add in beer, stock, thyme, and pepper, then turn heat down to low, cover and cook for 6-8 hours.

Before serving, cut french bread or baguette into slices. Fill soup bowls to the top, then cover with slice of bread and a slice of cheese. Set under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Be careful when serving the bowls will be hot!

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.

Taco Soup

 

Taco Soup Recipe

• 1 onion diced
• 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can kidney beans
• 1 (15 1/2 ounce) can black beans
• 2 (15 1/4-ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Rotel tomatoes
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Fire Roasted tomatoes
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes with chiles
• 1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix
• 1/4 cup finely diced jalapenos
• Sour cream, for garnish
• Grated cheese, for garnish
• Diced avocado, for garnish

Directions:

Saute the onions in a large skillet and transfer to a large crock pot. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, jalapenos, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix, and cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove. To serve, ladle soup into a bowl and top with sour cream, cheese, and avocado.