Optional Garnish:fresh sage, garlic bread, croutons, extra parmigiano reggiano cheese
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Cut the head of cauliflower into similar sized pieces, toss it with the garlic cloves and 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and cook on a baking sheet. About 25 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.
In a small sauté pan over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to carefully remove the pieces from the bacon grease and set aside for later.
Reduce the heat to low and add the onions to the bacon fat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are a deep golden brown. Add olive oil or melt butter if needed. Set aside.
In a heavy bottomed pot, add the roasted cauliflower, garlic cloves and chicken stock. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until the cauliflower is heated through. Purée with a blender or food processor. Stir in the parmigiano reggiano cheese until melted and season with salt and pepper.
Garnish with the cooked bacon, caramelized onions, optional fried sage, and additional parmigiano reggiano.
Notes
To fry the sage for garnish:
Melt butter in a large sauté pan. (You can also use bacon fat.) Once the butter is hot and melted, drop in the sage and cook until crispy. About one minute.
This soup is best served fresh, but it can also be reheated. It should stay good covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.
The roasted cauliflower soup freezes really well, but the garnishes don’t. If you want to freeze this soup, make a double or triple batch of the base and freeze for up to six months. To get the best texture possible, you may choose blend the soup again after reheating to reincorporate all the ingredients.