It may be silly to get excited over soup, but I am just over the moon with my Hidden Vegetable Broccoli Cheddar Soup. It's healthy, requires minimal effort to make and, most importantly, is delicious!

Let's start with the taste and texture. Cauliflower is the powerhouse ingredient in this recipe. When it gets blended with vegetable broth, it transforms into a thick and creamy soup base (save your milk and butter for one of my dessert recipes!). Each bite has that velvety smooth texture you associate with cream based soup. You will taste whispers of roasted garlic and nutty roasted cauliflower with a sharp and tangy bite from the cheese. I decided to roast the vegetables because I wanted to enhance the natural flavors of the soup. The cheddar compliments existing flavors as opposed to serving as a "flavor crutch".

Speaking of which, the recipe is very easily customizable (unlike my dessert recipes). I really wanted to recreate the classic broccoli cheddar soup and if that sounds good to you too, follow the recipe as written. But the great thing is, you don't NEED the cheese. Those roasted vegetables I was talking about? So much delicious flavor on their own! Leave the cheese out and you will have an amazing dairy free/vegan cauliflower broccoli soup. Two cups of cheese too much for you? Reduce it. Just keep in mind the more the cheese is reduced, the more you will get that roasted cauliflower flavor - less of a "whisper" of cauliflower and more a normal speaking voice.

Another thing I love about the recipe? It's incredibly easy to make! Mostly everything goes in the oven then you blend, heat and eat.

Hidden Vegetable Broccoli Cheddar Soup

A healthy twist on the classic broccoli cheddar soup - a creamy cauliflower base blended with broccoli, garlic, chickpeas and cheese

Serves: 4 large servings

Ingredients:

1 medium head cauliflower
1 medium head broccoli
1/2 sweet onion, quartered
2 large garlic cloves
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar
Salt and pepper, for seasoning

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Cut the cauliflower into florets and cut the inner core into small pieces
Chop the broccoli florets and stems into small pieces (about 1/4 inch)
Place the cauliflower, onion and whole garlic cloves on a large parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle over 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper
Place the broccoli on a large piece of foil. Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap it up tightly so steam won't be able to escape
The cauliflower pan will roast for 30 minutes and the broccoli will steam for 20 minutes: Place the cauliflower pan in oven. After 10 minutes, place the broccoli in the oven also. I put the foil package on a small cookie sheet to make it easier to get in and out of the oven
When the vegetables are done, allow them to cool for a few minutes before putting in the blender
Add the vegetable broth, chickpeas, cauliflower, onion and garlic to a blender. Blend for a few minutes until it is smooth and creamy. Add half of the broccoli and pulse a couple times
Taste and season with salt and pepper - I added about 1/2 a teaspoon of salt and a couple pinches of pepper
Add the soup to a medium pot over medium heat. Once it warms up, add the remaining broccoli pieces and cheese
Allow the cheese to melt completely into the soup, stirring often
Taste and season if necessary