A creamy roasted garlic cauliflower soup with plenty of asiago cheese and a crunchy popped quinoa and chia seed topping!

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

1 tablespoon oil

salt and pepper to taste

2-4 heads garlic

2 teaspoons oil

1 tablespoon oil

1 onion, diced

2 teaspoons thyme, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)

4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth

1 tablespoon white miso paste (optional)

1/2 cup asiago, grated

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon quinoa

2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs

1/2 tablespoon white sesame seeds

1/2 tablespoon black sesame seeds

1/2 tablespoon chia seeds

1/4 cup asiago, grated

salt and pepper to taste

2 teaspoons lemon zest

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Directions

Step 1: Toss the cauliflower in the oil, salt and pepper and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Step 2: Cut the top 1/4 off the heads of garlic, drizzle the oil on top, wrap in foil and place on the baking sheet along with the cauliflower.

Step 3: Roast in a preheated 425F oven until the cauliflower is tender and lightly golden brown to a little charred, about 20-30 minutes, mixing the cauliflower half way through.

Step 4: Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, add the onion and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes.

Step 5: Add the thyme and cook until fragrant, about a minute.

Step 6: Add the broth, roasted cauliflower and garlic, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes before pureeing with a stick blender, in a blender or in a food processor.

Step 7: Mix in the miso and asiago and heat until the cheese melts into the soup, about a minute.

Step 8: Heat the quinoa in a pan over medium heat until the quinoa starts popping, and then slows down until there is more than a second between pops, mixing continuously to prevent burning.

Step 9: Mix in the breadcrumbs, seeds, asiago and toast for a minute or two.

Step 10: Mix in the lemon zest and parsley before serving as garnish on the soup.

Step 11: Note: Start by cooking bacon in the pan until crispy before setting aside and continuing on with step 4 using the bacon grease instead of oil to cook the onions in.Option: Add 1 cup heavy cream, milk or almond milk, etc. to make it creamier.Option: Add 1/4 cup tahini to the soup to make it extra creamy.