Ever since I made the roasted pumpkin, pancetta and sage soup a few days ago I have found myself thinking about soups more often. After avoiding soups during the hot summer days I am now free to make them whenever I want and that is good because I have a few ideas that I have been wanting to try! Up first was one for a cream mushroom and roasted cauliflower soup! Cauliflower works really well as a thickener in soups and I was thinking that I could use some to make one of my favourite soups, cream of mushroom soup , a bit heartier.
A few years ago I discovered that roasting vegetables very often makes them better and I have been roasting pretty much any vegetable that I can get my hands on ever since. Cauliflower is no exception to my theory and in fact it is one of the shining examples of it as roasted cauliflower is so addictively good! I could literally eat a bowl of roasted cauliflower just like a bowl of popcorn and I have often made it just to snack on. Using the flavour enhanced roasted cauliflower in soups is also amazing and I could not resist the opportunity to use it in this recipe. Although roasted mushrooms are also really good, I wanted to saute them and let them caramelize a bit to build up their flavour and then to deglaze the pan with some white wine to make sure that we get all of that caramelized mushroom flavour from the bottom of the pan. I finished the soup off with some garlic, leeks, thyme and a healthy dose of heavy cream to make sure that the soup was indeed creamy.
I really like how simple two ingredient soups very often turn out to be so insanely good and this creamy mushroom and roasted cauliflower soup is no exception! If you are a fan of mushrooms then this is definitely a soup for you! You can use pretty much any type of mushroom that you want and I like wild mushrooms and I tend to go with a base of cremini and then add in some shiitake, oyster and even shimeji mushrooms. I served this mushroom and cauliflower soup with garnished with even more sauteed mushrooms along with some garlic rubbed crostini. I also happened to have some pancetta and blue cheese on hand and I could not resist trying my second bowl garnished with them! The tangy blue cheese and salty, crispy fried pancetta went really well with the creamy mushroom soup and I highly recommend it.
Note: I like my soup nice and thick, but if you prefer a smoother soup you can use only a half a head of cauliflower instead of a full head.
Creamy Mushroom and Roasted Cauliflower Soup
A creamy wild mushroom soup that is thickened with roasted cauliflower.
ingredients
- 1 small head cauliflower (cut into florets)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 leeks, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pound of mushrooms such as button, cremini or wild, sliced
- 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 3 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth or chicken stock
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup cream (or milk)
directions
- Toss the cauliflower florets in the oil along with the salt and pepper and arrange them in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
- Roast the cauliflower in a preheated 400F/200C oven until lightly golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.
- Add the whites of the leeks and and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add the mushrooms and the thyme and saute until the mushrooms are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Add the greens of the leeks and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the wine and deglaze the pan.
- Add the broth and cauliflower, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Puree the soup until it reaches your desired consistency with a stick blender.
- Add the cream, return to a boil and remove from heat.
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This looks so velvety and rich – what a satisfying bowl of soup it must be.
This looks absolutely delish!! I am so happy winter is coming just so I can eat soup like this everyday!!
xx
callie
Mushrooms rule my life and make my decisions for me, so this KILLS me.
yum!
Yum! This sounds great…two of my favorites in one!
It's a cold spring for us here in Aus and as you know, I'm such a fan of soups! I will probably make a similar dish next week!! thanks for sharing. 😉
craving this just from looking at the picture and reading the recipe! i think i'll make it monday night for halloween… let it simmer on the stove as a healthy snack after a night out trick or treating. yum.
Wow Kevin! This would be absolutely satisfying on a cold night like tonight. I tend to like my creamy soups very thick as well… And great mushrooms choices! I too tend to use crimini's as a base and then add in oysters and shiitakes. Garnish with enoki and you're all set!
– Brittany
Wow! The soup looks really creamy and thick! I'm sure that I could trick my sister into eating cauliflower (she hates any kind of vegetable, except for mushroom, and she likes creamy mushroom soup).
What a luscious soup!
Cheers,
Rosa
Awesome idea! Love this combo.
Thanks for this yummy looking soup…Can't wait to try it!
Our weather here in the midwestern USA is starting to get colder, and this soup looks absolutely wonderful! This recipe definitely goes on my "must-make" list.
Thanks!
Sigh . . . this was what I was TRYING to accomplish last time I made roasted cauliflower. Yours looks much better, so I guess I'd better use this recipe next time! 🙂
I too don't make many soups throughout the summer, so now its time to get back to them. This looks and sounds so great it will be on the menu for this weekend. Thanks.
Love everything about this soup!
I'm just passing by and thought id say hello. We will be receiving some snow this weekend in Pennsylvania, and the leaves are just about at their peek colors. I hope everyone has a very nice weekend. Richard from Amish Stories.
I came late to cauliflower – just didn't see the appeal – until I roasted it. So this does entice.
Heiii there'
you never fail to shine up with wonderful post… loveit..and i have 3 blog awards for you in my blog..do check it out! 🙂
http://touchofawanderer.blogspot.com/2011/10/3-awards-in-row.html
This soup looks like it has the perfect creaminess. Since I've started to roast cauliflower my kids became addicted to them.
A soup that warms my stomach and heart by just looking at the photos! Can't wait for winter so that I can make and eat soup everyday (or at least, every other day?)LOL!
Kevin you and I are veterans in the blogging game, but I can truly say you are like a good red wine, it gets better and better. The soup and your styling is magnificent!
I use roasted cauliflower as a base for so many things . . . when I make soup with it, I don't add the cream (cut the calories in the soup so that I can have dessert! 😉 Love the twist of adding the sauteed mushrooms and as the weather gets a little cooler and rainier out her on the west coast, this will fill the bill! Always good to have extra servings in the freezer for lunch!
Tried it but use low fat cream…came out good…
Just finished making a pot of this soup 🙂 I used slightly caramelized onions instead of leeks and only button mushrooms (hoping I won't regret using a variety).
It turned out so tasty! I like this slight hint of thyme that isn't overpowering.. Chunky soup in the winter is great so I do not mind the texture.. may want it a little smoother but I only have a 4 cup cuisinart 🙁
Anyway! I will be pairing this delicious soup with a slice of focaccia made from the organic bakery I work at 🙂 Nomnomnomnomnomnom
I seriously swooned when I saw the photo. I like my soups thick too.. more like a gravy consistency. Canned soups are always so… soupy lol
I made your wonderful soup recipe last week. It was a rainy day & I had everything except the shitake mushrooms. A quick trip to Trader Joe's & I was set. The smells comming from the kitchen, had my husband repeatedly checking to see how much longer it was going to be.
I only recently discovered your site & can't wait to try some of your other recipes.
Thank you for the recipes, the informative commentary & the beautiful photos!
Becky
Hi Kevin! It's my first time here and I came here from Jeff's Plate and saw your recipe on his site. I love Cauliflower Soup and this looks really delicious. You have so many recipes that look so good and can't wait to browse around and try some. Nice to meet you!
Hi Kevin,
Thanks so much for this recipe! I made it last night and it was absolutely amazing. My husband and I finished the whole pot by ourselves!
I'm looking forward to reading about (and trying recipes from!) your culinary adventures in 2012.
I just found your blog and this is the recipe I've made. Holy crap, it's delicious! I added a little grated swiss cheese, and it was the best soup I've ever made!
Just finished a bowl.. Great soup recipe.
It's winter here in New Zealand and I just made this soup today. Eating it as I write. Deeeeelish! Thank you!
Made this tonight for the 2nd time! So good. 🙂
I just made this and we left off the blending and cream at the end and IT.WAS. AWESOME!! Thanks so much for the recipe! This will be one I will enjoy over and over again! Also, I think this would be awesome over a roast or if you added chicken!!
Just finished making and eating this and WOW…loved it. Hubby loved it also. For those of us who are WW…4 PP per svg ~ can't beat that for a very hearty bowl of soup.
BTW, I did change up the cream to 1/4 FF canned cream and 3/4 skim milk. Didn't miss a thing.
Beautiful soup! I adore mushrooms and roasted veggies and easily adjusted for vegans!
I finally made this tonight after having pinned it months ago and it surpassed my high expectations! Thank you!
How is this when reheated? I'd like to make this for a friend who is busy with multiple jobs and taking care of his mother. He's recently gone veg and I think he would love this.
How is this when reheated? I'd like to make this for a friend who is busy with multiple jobs and taking care of his mother. He's recently gone veg and I think he would love this.
Anita D'Souza: This soup reheats really well!
About how many lbs is a "small" head of cauliflower? Like you, I LOVE roasted cauliflower & will eat it right off the pan 🙂
I made this with half a head of cauliflower and really like how the texture came out, especially after reheating. However, I found the flavor to be a little bland so I added a bunch of truffle salt and daaang. Good stuff.