Roasted Cauliflower and Almond Soup (Vegan)

Roasted Cauliflower and Almond Soup (Vegan)

                    

"This take on Cauliflower Soup is a little different; it has a distinct bold flavour due to the roasted vegetables and nuts. It is creamy with little treasures of chopped vegetables and almonds to stimulate those salivary gland with a little chewing;>"

Recipe By    : Ellen M. Ennis Davis

Source:  "Pooka's What's for Dinner: Gluten Free with Attitude"

Serving: 6    

Cuisine:  "Vegan"

Categories    : Gluten Free,  light meals, Soups & Stews, Vegetables

  1        head cauliflower -- cut into florets

  4        potatoes -- chopped

  2        tablespoons olive oil

  1        rib celery -- chopped 2" pieces

  3        onions -- chopped 2" pieces

  5        cloves garlic -- smacked with blade of knife, skin removed

 1/4      cup almonds -- roughly chopped

 1/4      teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1               litre  vegetable stock

2               cups water

  1        14 oz can coconut milk

  1        lemon

            salt and pepper to taste

Garnish

  1        teaspoon coconut oil -- or other vegetable oil

  1        cup mushrooms -- sliced

 1/8      cup unblanched almonds -- chopped

  3        cloves garlic -- sliced

 1/2      cup fresh spinach -- chiffonade

  1        teaspoon soy sauce, low sodium

In a small bowl add olive oil, garlic and nutmeg, mix together put in microwave for 30 seconds on full power. Remove from oven and let sit until needed

Process your vegetables as specified in ingredient list and put them into a large bowl with chopped nuts. Pour flavoured oil over vegetables and squeeze lemon juice over all, roughly chop the juiced lemon, add to the vegetables and toss until all vegetables and nuts are coated. Spread this onto a cookie sheet, season with salt and pepper if desired and roast  in a 400F oven until bowl; about 1 hr.; stir at 30 min. Remove from the oven and let cool.

While the vegetable mixture cools prepare the garnish. Heat oil in a small skillet; add mushrooms, garlic and almonds, sauté until mushrooms are golden and about half original size. Add spinach sauté until wilted, then soy sauce and toss together remove from heat and

Set aside.

Garnish

In a Dutch oven or stock pot add all but 2 cups of vegetable mixture add stock and water; bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Add in batches to blender and purée until smooth and return to the pot. (Be very careful to use a slow speed and hold lid on blender with a kitchen towel) or use an emersion blender to purée.

When reserved vegetables are cool give another rough chop to reduce the size of the vegetables by about half, add to the puréed soup along with the coconut milk and simmer for another 15 minutes

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with the mushroom nut mixture. Serve and enjoy

Serving Ideas: If you want a smoother soup don't reserve any of the roasted vegetables, add them all to the pot and purée the soup until smooth.

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Per Serving: 471 Calories; 29g Fat (52.6% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 48g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fibre; 2mg Cholesterol; 1211mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain (Starch); 0 Lean Meat;

1 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 5 1/2 Fat.