Roasted Cauliflower & Celery Root Soup w/Cheesy Croutons
Wait, idk if it has it really sunken in yet...it's a NEW YEAR GUYSSS!! Hiiiii, it's been a weekish since we last talked (last year) and I really missed you all. How was everyone's holiday? Ours was beyond chill. We stayed in LA this year and had the mellowest of Christmases and New Year's Eve celebrations. When you're from a place that everyone wants to visit (Hawaii) you usually avoid heading home during peak season (the prices aren't usually worth it). And hey, staying in LA was pretty awesome: we enjoyed great food, hung out with good people, and had lots of down time. We did a lot of cleaning, saw a few movies, marathoned Star Wars before seeing the new one and idk about you but I LOVED IT and can't wait for 2017. What else, we started a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle of Banff because I only wanna puzzle about places I want to visit, and still haven't finished it. I'd say we're about 65% done with it and it'll probably take us 200% more time to finish the remaining 35% than it took to put together what we've already done. We walked around Echo Park (aka Vienna's favorite park) way too many times to count (ok, I could technically count it but sooo laaazy). And we of course cooked and baked a ton.
I know I'm not alone here, but lately, all I've wanted is soup, soup, and more soup. Must have something to do with those 39°F LA nights. And I don’t know when it happened, but I’ve fallen hard and fast for roasted cauliflower. It pretty much screams cozy and winter all at the same time. While it’s fantastic in all forms, it’s extra cozy in soup form. And the best part about it, is that it comes together effortlessly thanks to the power that is the Wolf Gourmet High Performance Blender (of course you can use any high-speed blender that you've got, but I honestly had excellent results with my Wolf. I love hitting SOUP and letting the blender do all the heavy lifting for me. And because you’re not dressing your vegetables up with extra spices, their roasty, toasty flavors all really shine. Use this recipe as a guide and dress it up as you choose. Throw a halved lemon on the pan and then squeeze it in before blending for a bright citrus flavor or add half a cup of grated parmesan for some extra cheesy goodness. Whatever you decide to do, just know that it’ll be light and airy, almost mousse-like, thanks to all that high speed blending!
PS - There will be some changes in the upcoming weeks here on Fix Feast Flair, so be on the lookout for those! Also, if there's anything you'd like to see or see more of this year here on FFF, let me know!! Would love any and all feedback. Happy New Year, friends--so happy and grateful for all of you.
Roasted Cauliflower and Celery Root Soup with Cheesy Croutons
Serves 4 - 6, depending on portion size
INGREDIENTS
ROASTED CAULIFLOWER AND CELERY ROOT SOUP
1 large head cauliflower, cored and cut into 1 – 1 ½-inch florets
1 medium celery root, peeled and cut into 1-inch thick sticks
1 small yellow onion, cut into fourths
2 leeks, cleaned, halved, and cut into ½-inch segments (white and light green parts only)
4 whole garlic cloves, peeled
3 - 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for finishing
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup crème fraîche, plus more for finishing
3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Shichimi togarashi (optional)
CHEESY CROUTONS
1/3 day-old sourdough baguette, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Grated parmesan, for sprinkling
Salt and pepper, to taste
TOOLS
Wolf High Performance Blender or other high-speed blender
Rimmed baking sheets
Sharp knife
FIX
SOUP
Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss cauliflower florets, celery root sticks, onion, leeks, and garlic in 3 tablespoons of olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet and generously season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30-45 minutes or until fork tender. Toss every 15 minutes or so to roast evenly.
Add roasted vegetables, reserving a handful of cauliflower florets for garnish, with crème fraîche and chicken or vegetable stock, to blender jar in order listed. Set to SOUP and press start. Blend until smooth. Alternatively, pour into a blender and puree on hight until smooth.
After blending, turn heat to medium low and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Divide into bowls and top with croutons, reserved cauliflower florets, olive oil, crème fraîche (can be thinned out with milk), and shichimi togarashi.
CROUTONS
While vegetables are roasting, toss sourdough cubes in 1 tablespoon of olive oil spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake (at 350°F) for 10 minutes, then generously sprinkle grated parmesan all over cubes and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until crisp and golden brown.
This post was sponsored by Wolf Gourmet. All opinions are of course my own and I truly LOVE this blender. A huge thanks to the sponsors that help make Fix Feast Flair possible. :D