Roasted Cauliflower and Brussel Sprout Soup with Crispy Canadian Bacon

We're on a roll with good healthy meals lately, but yesterday was a very rainy day. I'm talking the kind of rain that falls sideways in heavy gusts...so intense that I stayed in my car an extra ten minutes on my way back into the office after lunch because I didn't want to get soaked (in a raincoat, boots and an umbrella). Needless to say, a light avocado salad was not going to do the trick for dinner. I needed something hearty and warm. When I was home for lunch, I caught an episode of Barefoot Contessa where she was preparing a mouth-watering pot roast. I seriously considered calling in sick for the rest of the day so I could devote the 4 hours needed to prepare it for dinner. But that wasn't very practical, so I decided to do a hearty roasted veggie soup instead.

I've experimented with cauliflower in soup before and I love how well it purees, especially after a good roast in the oven. But, at the last minute while picking up some things at the grocery store, I had a thought...I wonder what cauliflower and brussel sprouts would taste like together in a soup? I love them roasted together in the oven with some carrots and sweet potatoes, so why not pureed in a soup? So I scooped up a couple handfuls and set out to give it a try.

I must say with the addition of the yogurt and the walnuts at the end, plus the added saltiness and texture from the canadian bacon - it made for a pretty tasty (and healthy) combination! Along with a simple salad, it provided a great hearty meal on a cold, rainy night.

PS...I am planning on submitting this to Souper Sundays hosted by Kahakai Kitchen!

Roasted Cauliflower and Brussel Sprout Soup with Crispy Canadian Bacon

6 slices canadian bacon, sliced thin

1 head of cauliflower

about 15 -20 brussel sprouts (sorry...forgot to measure!)

1 T salt + more for seasoning

1/2 T pepper + more for seasoning

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 med onion, diced

3 cloves garlic

2 T extra virgin olive oil

3 cups chicken stock (more if you like it soupy)

1 T lemon juice

2 T plain greek yogurt

yogurt, toasted walnuts and gorgonzola cheese to garnish

Preheat oven to 425. Cut cauliflower into small florets, and cut brussel sprouts in half. Spread on baking sheet and drizzle with 1 T olive oil, 1 T salt, 1/2 T pepper and nutmeg. Toss to coat and roast in oven for 20 - 25 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil over med-high heat in a dutch oven or stock pot. Add canadian bacon strips and cook until crispy and browned, about 5 minutes. Warning: the bacon will pop and splatter oil so be careful! Remove from pot and place on paper towels to cool and drain.

Turn heat down to medium and add onion. Saute for 5 minutes or so until translucent, then add the garlic and saute for another 1 - 2 minutes. When veggies come out of oven, empty onion mixture onto pan with veggies. Add 1 cup of chicken stock to pot to deglaze and with a wooden spoon scrap up any browned bits.

Add veggies in 2 batches to a food processor, streaming in a 1/2 cup of chicken stock with each batch. Add batches back to pot and stir to combine with chicken stock. This is where I added another 3/4 - 1 cup of chicken stock to make the soup a little more creamy. You can add as much or as little as you want.

Add yogurt and lemon juice to soup and stir to combine. Season with salt, pepper (and I added a little more nutmeg). Ladle into bowls then top with another dollop of yogurt, some toasted walnuts, a sprinkle of crumbled gorgonzola and the crispy canadian bacon strips.

Enjoy!