Cauliflower Soup

I had a HUGE head of cauliflower that I needed to use and since Jeremy and I were hoping to have a more-or-less vegetarian dinner, I didn't want to just roast it or mash it as that didn't seem substantial enough for a dinner.  Instead, I made a nice pot of soup and roasted some of the pieces to add some texture.

All together this took a little over an hour to make but for a good bit of that time the soup was just simmering.  It was a very tasty soup and I'm really looking forward to the leftovers we have.

I made a loaf of bread to go along with this.  As I had some leftover barley from a few nights ago, I made a whole grain bread -- it was partially whole wheat and had barley throughout.  It was slightly sweet and very chewy.  Overall, it was a delicious meal.

It's amazing how creamy this soup was despite the fact that there isn't a drop of cream or a bit of cheese in it. The pureed potatoes and cauliflower gave it a wonderful texture.  Overall, a very delicious soup with a great cauliflower flavor.

Recipe:
1 large head of cauliflower (the head weighed roughly 3 1/2 pounds when I started)
4 large white potatoes (about 2 1/2 - 3 c. once I diced them)
approx. 6 cups chicken stock
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped into 4 inch pieces
1 pinch crushed red pepper flake
1 tbs. rosemary, minced
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c. minced fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Chop the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces.  Place about 3 1/2 cups of cauliflower florets on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.  Mix to combine.  Place in oven and cook for approx. 20 minutes until slightly brown and tender.  Mix occasionally while it's cooking.  When it's done just set it to the side until the soup is at step 8.
3. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add 2 tbs. olive oil.  Add the onion, celery, and crushed red pepper flake.  Saute until the onion begins to soften.
4. Add the cauliflower, potatoes, bay leaves, and rosemary.  Add chicken stock until the veggies are almost covered.
5. Cover the pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to maintain a strong simmer until the veggies are tender, about 20-25 minutes.
6. Turn off heat, remove bay leaves and celery, and allow soup to cool for 5-10 minutes with the lid off.
7. Puree in a blender, in batches if necessary.
8. Return soup to pot.  Add roasted cauliflower, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.