Fall is a fabulous season for cooking. The best fall dishes are all about warmth, richness, and substance…the kind that make you want to join our forest friends and hibernate for a while. And after you eat this cauliflower soup, you will think seriously about doing just that. Smooth, creamy cauliflower soup, lightly spiced with coriander and cumin, is even better topped with crunchy homemade herbed croutons—they’re really worth the bit of extra effort. So here’s another recipe to add to the list of easy soups that are way cheaper when homemade, but just as delicious and probably better for you (f you ignore the first ingredient).

INGREDIENTS

for soup:
3 tbsp butter, divided
olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 1/2 shallot, minced
2 large carrots, diced
1 small parsnip, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp coriander
2 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 head cauliflower, broken up into small pieces
stock or water
1/4 cup flour
2 cups whole milk
salt and pepper to taste

for croutons:
1 baguette, cut into cubes
olive oil
pinch paprika, parsley, thyme
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Heat 1 tbsp butter and a drizzle of olive oil in a Dutch oven or other large pot. Add onion, shallot, carrot, and parsnip. Cook until onion is softened. Then add the garlic and cook another minute.

Stir in the cumin, coriander, parsley, and tomato paste, and cook until fragrant (a minute or two should do it).

Then add the cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes before pouring in enough stock or water to just about cover the veggies. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cover. Cook until the cauliflower is soft and tender.

Now get the croutons going. Preheat oven to 400 F. Toss the cut-up bread in olive oil, paprika, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper, and spread out onto a foil-lined sheet pan.

Bake until croutons are browned and a bit crispy. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt 2 tbsp butter. In a bowl, whisk together flour and milk. Slowly pour the milk mixture into the melted butter, whisking constantly. Add a bay leaf to the milk mixture and continue to whisk. When the milk is just about to boil, remove from heat and pour directly into soup. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occassionally.

Once the soup is thickened, it’s done. But if you want a little bit smoother texture, you can puree about half of the soup and then stir the puree back in. Then top it with croutons and some chopped fresh parsley and dig in! Happy Fall.