low carb, warm and fabulous!

it's cold outside, but your watching your diet. you want comfort food, but you don't want it tomorrow when you can't fit in your clothes. nothing soothes the heart, mind and soul like a creamy, warm and comforting soup, but you promised you were on your way back into your healthy, leaner days of your youth. ok, so we all know that last one might be a bit of a stretch, but we all know what it's like to do our best to stick to eating healthy and keeping active, but the cold weather sometimes toys with our hungry emotions. so here's the perfect answer to keeping both sides of you happy. the one who is eating right and working hard and the one who wants to curl up in front of the fire with a delicious bowl of warm and creamy potato cheese soup. this recipe doesn't have a potato or an ounce of cream or milk, but you would never know it, unless of course you were the one cooking it. so get off the couch and make this super easy, low carb and fabulous soup. then curl back up and enjoy your fire without the guilt and knowing those pants will still fit in the am.

roasted cauliflower and cheese soup

1 ( 1 1/2 pound ) head of cauliflower
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth***
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese***
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

preheat the oven to 400

in a large bowl, toss the cauliflower and garlic cloves in the olive oil until well coated. season with salt and pepper, to taste. place on a large baking sheet, in a single layer. roast the cauliflower until lightly golden brown, about 20-30 minutes. set aside.

 heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat, add the onion and celery and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. chop up the roasted garlic. add the garlic, roasted cauliflower, vegetable broth, thyme, and rosemary and bring to a boil. reduce the heat so that the mixture simmers and cooks until the cauliflower is tender, about 20-25 minutes.

using an immersion blender, food processor or regular blender, blend the soup until smooth. add the cheddar cheese and stir until melted. if the soup appears too thick to you, just add a little extra stock until you reach your desired consistancy. season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. ladle the soup into bowls and serve warm. serve the soup with crusty bread or homemade croutons. another great topping is the heat a little olive oil in a pan and add a little smoked paprika, heat just until warm and turn off and allow flavors to steep. drizzle over top of soup. enjoy!