Roasted Cauliflower White Cheddar Soup

This soup was really delicious and a perfect fall meal. I served it with Pillsbury French Bread in the can. Yum!

Ingredients

1 large head cauliflower(2-2 1/2 lbs.), cored and chopped into small, bite size pieces

1 1/2 Tbsp. EVOO

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 Tbsp. butter

1 cup finely chopped yellow onion

3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 clove garlic, minced

3 cups milk

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme(or a slightly heaping 1/4 tsp dried)

1 bay leaf

1/4 tsp granulated sugar

4 oz shredded sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded(1 cup), plus more for serving if desired

1 oz finely grated parmesan cheese (slightly packed 1/4 cup)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place cauliflower on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and toss to evenly coat, then spread into an even layer and season lightly with salt and pepper. Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes, or until golden. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add in onion and saute until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add in flour and cook, stirring constantly 1 1/2 minutes, adding in garlic during last 30 seconds of cooking. While whisking, slowly pour in milk, followed by chicken broth and cream. Add in parsley, thyme, bay leaf, sugar, roasted cauliflower and season soup with salt and pepper to taste (I used 1 tsp salt but this may vary depending on how much salt you added to your cauliflower and how much salt you prefer). Bring to a boil, stirring frequently and allow to cook until thickened slightly. Puree 3 cups of the soup in a blender(being careful as your working with hot liquids) and return to soup in pot. Remove from heat and stir in sharp white cheddar and parmesan cheese. Serve warm garnished with additional shredded white cheddar, parsley and serve with fresh bread or croutons if desired.

From cooking classy