Roasted Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Soup

I think the weather is throwing us a bone at this point. It’s probably sick of hearing “when is it going to start feeling like fall?” and “I can’t go apple picking when it’s still 70 degrees” and “ what good is me standing in a pumpkin patch if I don’t have riding boots and a scarf on, just forget the instagram photoshoot altogether.” I know I am.

It’s not exactly fall weather around here, but a rainy front came through, and for some reason, rain always makes me think of fall. Probably b/c fall is the one season I don’t mind the rain. Actually, that’s not true, I don’t mind it in the spring when everything needs it to grow. But in the winter I’m scared everything is going to ice over and in the summer the rain really puts a damper on patio drinking. In the fall, though, rain feels right. It seems to help bring the leaves down and the trails and lawns around here are blanketed in those gorgeous reds and oranges and yellows. Nothing like a rainy day w/ a spiced candle burning and snuggling up on the couch w/ your cats husband. 

A nice addition to that cozy little scenario is this roasted cauliflower and sweet potato soup. It’s really yum and even though there aren’t “warm spices” in it, it totally reminds me of fall. Probably the orange hue.

I was craving a thick, creamy soup once the rain started and hopped on Pinterest to see what struck my fancy. I just searched “soups” and cauliflower soup appeared more than once. Cauliflower soup? I didn’t even know that was a thing. But I love me some cauliflower and decided that was the perfect base for my soup. Once I had the inspiration, I didn't need a specific recipe. I had some sweet potatoes and an onion rattling around in my pantry that were either going in this soup or going in the trash so I cut off the bad bits and threw them in. They were really big sweet potatoes and the soup ended up being 50/50 cauliflower and sweet potato, but I wasn’t mad at it. Roasting them ahead of time adds nice flavor; the same goes for sautéing your onion and garlic. 

The best thing about this soup is that it’s as versatile as you want it to be. I was going to add celery and carrots to the sauté pan but it was too crowded (whoops). When I make this again, I’ll start w/ a bigger pan and definitely add them. Want to add some crunch? Garnish w/ pumpkin seeds or croutons. The spices are totally up to you. I love a little heat in soup so I added red pepper flakes; a pinch of cayenne would probably be really good too. Or you can go in the pumpkin spice direction and add some ginger or cloves. Mmmm, totally making a mental note of that for next time. Season however you like, that’s the great thing about cooking.

Wait, no, the best thing about this soup is that it only tastes creamy. There’s no cream in it (remember, I can’t keep cream in the house) so it’s not a guilty pleasure. Roasted vegetables? Olive oil? Vegetable stock? These all sound pretty healthy to me. A comfort-esque food that still allows you to fit in your skinny jeans for that perfect pumpkin patch picture. Win win. 

Roasted Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower 

2 sweet potatoes 

1 yellow onion

2 cloves garlic 

1 quart vegetable stock

½ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, if you want a little kick)
Olive oil

Salt and pepper 

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F

2. Remove the stem from the cauliflower and arrange the florets on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. 

3. Peel and dice the sweet potatoes and arrange on a separate baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. 

4. Roast the cauliflower and sweet potatoes for 20-25 minutes, until slightly browned 

5. Mince garlic cloves and dice the onion. Sautee in olive oil until translucent.

6. Once the cauliflower, sweet potatoes and onions have cooled a little, place them in a blender. Add about half the vegetable stock and puree. You may need to do this in a few batches (I did the sweet potatoes and onions first and then the cauliflower). If you have an immersion blender, just put everything in a pot and immersion blend.

7. Once pureed, pour into a pot over medium heat. Add the remaining vegetable stock, paprika and red pepper flakes (or whatever spices you like).

8. Add more salt/pepper/seasoning to taste. I added about another cup of water to my soup to thin it out a little; add as much or as little as you want until the soup is the consistency you like. Simmer until desired temperature and serve warm.