You know, it’s funny. Food fads can be annoying (I just know that skinny bacon buffalo kale with Greek yogurt will show up on my Pinterest feed someday – says the girl who has many recipes with at least two of those descriptors), but they can also be revelatory. Especially if you have previously only experienced a certain food a certain way. I think cauliflower is a great example of this. For many years, it has been the lonely, sad vegetable left on the plate of crudites – and not just in my experience, but in many experiences. It’s not even good raw! Why did so many of us never think to cook it? No more, though. It’s come full fad circle. Cauliflower is roasted every which way, made into “steaks,” “pizza crusts” and who knows what else. And you know what? I am totally ok with that. I discovered something new (to me) and awesome.

And when you’ve mastered the roasting, may I suggest making it into a soup? With a little garlic? Nevermind, that last sentence is not a real question.

Dave and I made this soup for a delicious dinner with a side of kale pesto toasts and a side of Star Trek. I do have to say, it’s a benefit of PNW winter finally being here – it is ALWAYS soup weather.

Here’s what you need:
1 head cauliflower
5 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
olive oil
1 small/medium white onion
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup white wine
2 cups of water
Heavy pinch of salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. heavy cream (optional)

About an hour before you actually want to eat, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Roughly chop the cauliflower and toss it and the garlic with 2-3 Tbsp. of olive oil. Roast for 20-30 minutes or until the cauliflower is fork-tender.

When they are done roasting, heat another 2 Tbsp. oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Dice the onion and cook until translucent. Add the cauliflower and garlic into the pot along with the broth and wine. Bring to a brisk simmer and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Next, add in 2 cups water and puree the entire thing using a blender or an immersion blender. Season with salt and lemon juice. When ready to serve, remove from heat and stir in heavy cream if desired. Also, if you want to scoop in a little kale pesto, well that would not be a bad idea at all!