cauliflower rice

Have you seen or tried the packages of cauliflower rice that are all the rage? I picked up a 2-pack at Costco recently to give it a try. I used one package as intended, as a side dish, and honestly, I don’t know what all the fuss is about. If you know of a stand-out recipe, please let me know.

I decided to use the second package for soup. You can never go wrong with soup!

Initially, I thought I’d roast the cauliflower rice for the soup, I had it all spread out on a baking sheet, but then I decided to roast a bulb of fennel I had instead and leave the cauliflower as is. The thought process here was, “I don’t want to have to keep checking on the little cauliflower bits and worry about them burning.” Laziness wins!

Roasted cauliflower or not, this is one delicious tummy-warming soup.

Creamy Roasted Fennel, Garlic, and Cauliflower Soup

• 1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced
• Olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 head of garlic
• 4 shallots
• 16-ounce package of cauliflower rice or 1 pound of cauliflower florets
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• Smoked paprika

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Place the fennel slices on the foil and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut the tops off the head of garlic and off the shallots. Place the garlic and shallots on separate sheets of foil and drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil over each. Wrap up the foil packages and set on the same baking sheet as the fennel slices.

Roast in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the fennel is lightly browned and the garlic and shallots are softened.

Squeeze the roasted garlic and shallots out of their skins.

Roughly chop the garlic and shallots and set them aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot, add the roasted fennel and the cauliflower, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the thyme, rosemary, and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add the garlic and shallot and simmer for 15 minutes.

Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Return to pot and cook on low for 5 minutes before serving.

Ladle into bowls, sprinkle lightly with smoked paprika, and serve.

Serves 6 to 8