There's no question about it, it's definitely still soup season. There may be blooms popping out of the ground, but these cold soccer-mom mornings still require the heavy down coat along with gloves, the thick fuzzy socks, and a warm hat. A full insulated mug of hot honey lemon water doesn't hurt in the cosy department either, and I love those mornings if I am properly prepared.

This soup was a result of a slow Saturday and a fridge full of veggies that needed using up. Normally, I would have spruced up already tasty roasted veggies with the addition of dairy - likely real milk or added cheese. In this version though, I was inspired by a soup I had enjoyed which was made recently by a friend of mine from the My New Roots app - and it called for almond milk, which I thankfully had on hand for this.

This soup is creamy, satisfying, and delicious - you will not miss the animal fat here! Simply roast, puree, and enjoy. It takes minimal effort while the veggies cook, so you can putter while the oven does the work. Serve on its own or with some warm crusty bread and you're set. It may still be winter, but give me some cosy creature comforts like this and I'm pretty sure I can tough it out ;) To enjoying the now and looking forward to the bright (sunny) future ahead. xo

Creamy Roasted Cauliflower + Potato Soup:

• 1 large cauliflower, washed and broken into florets
• 5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and chopped
• 2 small yellow onions, chopped
• 1 leek, washed and chopped
• 2 shallots, peeled and halved
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 4 cups almond milk
• 1 cup water
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp honey, or another sweetener
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• black pepper + fresh herbs for garnish

Start by heating the oven to 400 degrees. Select a large roasting tray and add the olive oil. Add the chopped cauliflower, potatoes, onions, shallots, salt and rosemary and stir. Roast until browned and smelling wonderful, being sure to turn the veggies here and there, about 40-45 minutes.

Once the veggies are cooked reserve 1 heaping cup of them and set aside for garnishing the soup. Next, add roughly 1/3 of the cooked veggies to a high powered blender and add half the almond milk. Puree until creamy and smooth and add to another clean pot. Add the remaining veggies to the blender along with the remaining almond milk and the water. Puree and add to the soup pot. Mix all to combine in the soup pot and stir in the honey, lemon juice, and remaining 1.5 tsp salt. Heat until piping hot and serve, topped with torn pieces of remaining veggies, extra olive oil, Maldon salt and fresh herbs for garnish.