Easy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Planting Bulbs and Easy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
If you just want the recipe, click here.
The cauliflower slowly roasted in the oven and there was a welcome break in the rain. Small snippets of blue peeked through the gray and grayer clouds, making the dogs and me restless. My mind was a jumble with all the things I should be doing, sitting here, tied to the computer.
Already the month is over; summer is over. The leaves on the persimmon trees are turning their magnificent shades of red, gold, and green before the first big chill drops them to the ground. The walnut tree has already begun shedding and copious piles have been duly delivered to the yard waste cans to be collected for composting.
So out we went, just to enjoy a stretch and a break from our usual positions; me at the keyboard and they lying scattered at my feet, quietly listening for me to make a move. I amazes me how in-tune they are to my every movement. I don’t even have to stand before the sounds of closing the laptop, or even taking off my glasses sets them off in expectation. “Do we go NOW?” they seem to ask or is she just getting more coffee. My pack.
The break in the weather was intoxicating as we wandered the backyard. The air was pure; clean, clear, and mild. And, I was perfectly comfortable in my old favorite black sweater and long sleeved shirt while traipsing around, checking out the sprouting paper whites and blossoming chrysanthemums. The fresh air was just what we needed.
A seize the moment impulse came over me. This happens more often than you’d think.
As quickly as that, the mishmash of bulbs came out of the refrigerator and the organic bag of plant food was unearthed from the cabinet. I even found the bulb planter I bought, nearly as a whim. Putting it to work, I marveled at how lovely and efficient it was. I even donned an apron (which I never do) in consideration of my lovely sweater. Somehow the impulse to do this now was preeminent, seemingly inspired. Not the procrastinating distraction from those other important things – though it could be thought of in that way. I was feeling driven, yet in the zone; focused on the methodical process of laying out the bed, with no other thoughts. Filling my emotional tank.
Planting bulbs is an exercise in visualization, an imaginary and creative process. Much like planting any seeds as we create a future landscape, mix of heights, shapes, and colors. In my head played a mantra; plant in groups, mix them up, and don’t put in straight lines. I created dozens and dozens of pockets to rest each bulb, pausing now and then to look in my minds eye to see how they would grow. By late afternoon, the sun was fully on my flowerbed, lighting up the last of the lavender and mum blossoms, and making raindrops sparkle on pale green leaves. A sigh of satisfaction rose in my heart and I was done in the garden for the day, my mind cleared of so many should haves.
Cooking as a distraction has much the same effect on me. The mixing of textures, colors, and taste changes into something to feast upon. Slicing and dicing or creating a mise en place is meditative, calming. Mindfully creating order from chaos, and a palette from which your masterpiece will emerge.
It is important to find the small ways to replenish your heart and mind if only in the seemingly ordinary things that make up your day.
Enjoy these colorful roasted vegetables as a side dish, but make twice as much to transform into an earthy, rich and creamy soup. Perfect for a fall picnic, in a thermos on a road trip or in a mug at your desk.
Recipe
- 1 oz Sur la Table Manchego & Roasted Garlic Seasoning Mix for 3 pounds of vegetables
- Olive Oil
- Butter
- 4 cups cut up cauliflower florets (1 med. Head of cauliflower)
- 3 cups cut up Yukon Gold potatoes
- 3 small carrots, cut in 1” pieces
- 1 yellow onion quartered
- 4 cups low salt vegetable stock
- Additional water as needed
- Preheat oven to 425℉
- Combine vegetables in a large bowl,
- Prepare seasoning mix according to package instructions and quantity of vegetables.
- Pour mix over vegetables, cover with plastic wrap and toss to coat evenly.
- Spread on sheet pan lined with parchment or sprayed with vegetable spray.
- Roast until tender, about 35 minutes, turning vegetables over at the halfway mark.
- Cool vegetables for about 10 minutes after removing from oven.
- Puree vegetables in a batches in a blender along with a cup or so of stock to blend until creamy.
- Pour soup mixture into a 6 qt saucepan and warm over medium heat.
- Add all the stock and a bit more water if you want a thinner consistency.
- Serve with crunchy croutons and maybe a sprinkle of cheese.
Disclosure: While attending IFBC (International Food Bloggers Conference) Sur la Table provided the product sample, which flavored the vegetables and soup. If you do not want to use this, here is a link to my Roasted Cauliflower Soup from scratch. Posting about my IFBC experience is part of the Blogger’s discount for attending the conference.
nice so,,