Quicke Roasted Cauliflower Soup & Friday Flowers

After this crazy week of cooking non-stop for other people, I am a little cooked out. So for this Shabbos Friday night dinner, I am taking the lazy quickie root and making this delicious soup with some simple one pot chicken and some baked apples for dessert.

I love this soup.The cauliflower gets roasted in the oven with some salt and olive oil; most times I have to make a double batch because I end up eating half the cauliflower before it ever gets to the soup pot.

I use cauliflower all the time in place of actual cream to make soups creamy and low fat. This soup is not the prettiest of soups, but the taste makes up for the look.

pic via

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

3 cups frozen cauliflower florets, defrosted

extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

black pepper

2 leeks, sliced

1 small onion, diced

1 tsp. thyme

2 tsp. crushed garlic

2 bay leaves

2 carrots, sliced

3 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

2 large potatoes, diced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

On a large cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick spray, lay out the cauliflower. Generously drizzle olive oil and liberally sprinkle the salt and black pepper all over the cauliflower and lightly toss. Place the sheet pan in the oven and roast for 20-30 minutes or until the cauliflower has browned nicely.

In a soup pot, sauté the leeks and onions in olive oil over medium-high heat. After about 3 minutes, add the thyme, garlic, bay leaves and carrots and mix well with the onions. Let the carrots tenderize for about 3-4 minutes and then add the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. When the cauliflower has browned, add it to the soup pot and mix well with the carrots and onions. Then add the water and the potatoes. Cover the soup and cook on the stove top for about 20 minutes more. When the potatoes are soft enough to pierce with a fork, remove the bay leaves with a slotted spoon and use a hand immersion blender to blend the soup to a creamy texture. Use salt and pepper to taste. This soup goes great with a garlic croutons or parmesan cheese garlic bread.

Friday Flowers

Again looking for the easy simple way out this Friday I was lucky to have  a few of these simple gorgeous white dendrobiyum orchids left over from a party a did last night.

A handful of these stunning stems put into a simple vase is all I need for a beautiful arraignment.

You can find these in bunches of 10 usually in any grocery or flower shop and most times they are about $1 a stem.

Inexpensive and perfect for today’s Shabbos flowers. If you cut the stems and change the water every other day, these orchids will last you up to 8 days!

Have a terrific Shabbos! tll next week…Sarah