Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Soup

 [This post has been updated from the Oven Love archives.]

This soup is exceptional.

Exceptional!

It's so good that every fall for the last four years, we've remembered it and had to have it again. You know how rare it is for me to make a recipe twice.. so I think this is going to be a Herr family favorite.

There is nothing more satisfying than a creamy soup on a cool night, am I right? The roasted garlic in this thing is no joke- so, so good- do not skip that step! If it weren't for the garlic breath, I would eat a head of roasted garlic every. single. day. (TMI?)

 The soup is filling as a meal all it's own, but makes a great starter for a holiday spread as well. And I just love the roasted cauliflower florets on top with their cheesy, herbaceous flavor. Great presentation for company, but also a perfect supper to share with your family.

Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Soup
by Oven Love, via Martha Stewart Recipes
serves 10-12

This recipe is for a crowd (think holidays)- but can be easily halved and it's freezable, too.

Ingredients

• 3 heads garlic
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 3 white onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 heads cauliflower, 3 cored and thinly sliced and 1 broken into florets
• 8 sprigs thyme, tied with twine, plus one tablespoon chopped (you can sub. 1T dried thyme)
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 6 cups chicken stock, plus more to thin, if desired
• 2 cups heavy cream, plus more to thin, if desired
• 2 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut off the tops of garlic heads. Place each on a piece of aluminum foil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap tightly in foil, and bake until garlic is very soft, about an hour. Let cool. Squeeze garlic from peel; set aside. Increase oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large pot over medium low heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until soft but not browned. Stir in sliced cauliflower, thyme and wine. Simmer until wine is reduced by half. Add stock, bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove cover and simmer until cauliflower is soft, about 15 minutes more. Remove from the heat.
3. Remove thyme bundle and stir in cream and 2 1/2 cups Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in garlic. Puree with a stick blender or in batches until smooth. Thin with more stock or cream, if desired. Return to pot; keep warm on low heat.
4. Heat remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over high heat in a saute pan until almost smoking. Add cauliflower florets, stirring until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer pan to oven and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in thyme, parsley and remaining 3 tablespoons Parmesan. To serve; ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cauliflower florets.