Cauliflower Soup with Maple Bacon and Thyme

Cauliflower soup is my new favorite way to enjoy this hearty vegetable. This soup was so silky smooth it is hard to believe I didn't add any butter, cream or coconut milk to it. The color was so vibrant and beautiful it really added that extra visual component to the dish.  The crispy maple bacon was a great addition however, if you wanted to make this soup vegetarian you could just leave out the bacon and replace bacon fat with extra olive oil. I also added a little extra sweetness to the soup by swirling some local extra dark maple syrup as a garnish and a dollop of tangy Greek yogurt speckled with thyme leaves and lemon juice. There are many ways to garnish this soup but I really enjoyed the ingredients I used this evening. I hope this fall soup recipe finds its way into your meal rotation. 


Ingredients

1 medium sized cauliflower- chopped
1 large yellow onion- cut in 6 wedges
4 cloves of garlic- left in husks
1 large carrot- chopped
6 sprigs of thyme plus extra for garnish
4 slices of maple bacon- sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
900ml chicken or vegetable stock- I used chicken stock (no salt added)

Garnishes

Crostini- slice the crostini and brush each piece with some olive oil and a sprinkle of garlic powder. Bake until golden and toasted.
6 slices of ciabatta
olive oil
garlic powder
Greek yogurt topping- mix the Greek yogurt  
1/2 cup of Greek yogurt
1 tsp lemon juice
thyme leaves from one sprig

Maple syrup, crispy bacon and fresh thyme leaves are also a great way to finish this soup and add a little extra presentation before serving. If you do not want to make crostini, croutons are also a great option. 

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2.  Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and place all the chopped vegetables, thyme and garlic on the pan.  Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper making sure everything is evenly coated. 
3. Bake for 25 minutes or until the veggies have some color. 
4.  Meanwhile in a large heavy bottom pot on medium heat saute the bacon until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving its bacon fat in the pot, and set bacon aside for the garnish.
5.  When the vegetables are done in the oven add them to the bacon fat and saute for a minute. Add the chicken or vegetable stock to the pot making sure to scrape all the flavor bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring the soup to a boil. Turn it down to medium heat once it reaches a boil and simmer for 25 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft.
6.  Prepare all your garnishes while you wait for the vegetables in the soup to soften. 
7. Transfer the soup into a blender. Make sure to close the lid 100% and use a tea towel over the blender in case it splashes up. Blend until smooth. Place pureed soup back into the pot. simmer on low heat until you are ready to serve.
8. Garnish and enjoy!

AA