Roasted Cauliflower and Bacon Soup

Copyright 2007 by Cooking With The Single Guy

Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower
3 cloves of garlic (skin on)
5 slices turkey bacon
1 can chicken broth (14 oz. low-sodium)
1 cup fat-free half and half
½ cup water
extra virgin olive oil
salt for seasoning
cilantro or flat parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Cut head of cauliflower into 1-inch florets. Transfer to baking dish with garlic. Coat with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until you see slightly golden brown edges.

Remove cauliflower and garlic from oven and transfer to medium pot. (Remember to remove the skin from the garlic. It’ll be easy after they’ve been roasted. Just squeeze them out of the skin.) Add chicken broth and water and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer and cook until cauliflower is tender where it breaks easily with a fork. (About 20 minutes.)

Use a hand blender or place small batches into a blender* and puree until smooth. Add half and half and season with salt to desired taste.

Pan fry bacon until crispy. Pad off excess oil with paper towel. Roughly chop into bits and add to soup. (Reserve some for garnish.) Spoon into bowls and add cilantro or parsley (finely chopped if you wish) and bacon sprinkled on top.

Makes 2 to 3 servings. Pair with slices of parmesan toasted bread.

Serve with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

* Do not place hot liquid in blender. Let the cauliflower cool first. Also, never fill blender or food processor by more than half.

TIP: To reduce the number of pans to wash, you can bake the bacon with your cauliflower in the oven. Just place them flat on top of the cauliflower. Reduce the amount of olive oil used because the bacon fat will help keep the cauliflower moist. Also, be sure to check that the bacon doesn’t burn before the cauliflower browns.

CREAM IT: You’ll notice that I used fat-free half and half to reduce the calories often found in soups made with heavy cream. But if you’re still concerned about too many calories (really, nothing is fat-free), then you can try skim milk (or your favorite low-fat milk) mixed with a tablespoon of cornstarch to help thicken your soup. Bring your pureed cauliflower to a boil and slowly stir in cornstarch and milk mixture until thicken.