It’s the end of the week. You realize you accidentally over-bought cauliflower and you somehow have a head and a half in the fridge that needs to be used. Some of your other veggies are starting to look a little sad too. Enter: this soup.
What I present to you now is a non-recipe recipe or a method that is ready to be adapted to your fridge. It is for those nights when you want something warm and comforting and full of flavor but don’t have a lot of time to cook. It is a back-pocket technique that will turn sad, “I need to be used now” veggies into a satisfying meal.
The key here is roasting. By roasting the veggies before you add them to the soup, you amp up the flavor big time.
Don’t get too hung up on the ingredients. This is truly a fridge-foraging type of meal.
So let’s begin. Start by choosing your veggies. Anything that can be roasted and pureed will work. For the soup I have pictured here, I used half of a large head of cauliflower and one sliced zucchini. Other veggies that work well include: broccoli, winter squash, and peppers. Or maybe just stick with one veggie, such as one large head of cauliflower or a few small heads of broccoli. Use what you have and get creative.
Preheat the oven to 425. Chop up your veggies, toss them with salt, pepper, and olive oil, and spread them out on the pan, trying not to overcrowd them. Too many veggies and they will steam instead of roast. Use two pans, if necessary. Add at least three cloves of garlic to the pan. Don’t remove the garlic peels – just toss them on the pan whole, peel and all. Roast the veggies and garlic for 20 – 25 minutes, tossing after 15 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when they have a nice brown color.
While the veggies roast, add olive oil to a large pot and sauté one large diced onion and one or two diced carrots. Add some salt and sauté until soft. Add a diced potato too, if you wish.
Next add 4 – 5 cups of water or vegetable broth. (I suggest starting with 4 and adding another cup if the soup is too thick). Simmer. When the other vegetables are done roasting, add them to the pot as well. Don’t forget to remove the garlic peels! Simmer everything together for 15 minutes or so.
If you wish, while the soup simmers, you can add a can of white beans (as I did for the above pictured soup). I love adding beans to soup. They help make the soup creamier and more filling, but really this soup is delicious either way.
Once the soup has simmered, puree everything until smooth.I use an immersion blender, but you can also pour it into a stand blender.
Now time to get creative again. Taste the soup. What does it need? Maybe a little more salt? Some red pepper flakes? Some fresh herbs? Or a little lemon juice? A little cheese? Taste it and make it delicious.
And that’s it. You can serve it with a little drizzle of olive oil on top or a squeeze of lemon or a sprinkle of cheese. The possibilities are really endless.
