Roasted Corn & Cauliflower Soup

Colder weather will be here soon, so it’s time to start thinking about soup as a main course for weeknight dinners! This soup is vegan, plant-based, gluten-free, and easy to prepare from scratch. There are four main ingredients — kernels from four or five ears of corn, a head of cauliflower, coconut milk, and vegetable broth — and I like to add some balsamic vinegar, olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper when roasting the vegetables. I've been asked why I roast the vegetables before adding them to the blender, and there are are 3 main reasons for this: 1) Roasting the corn and cauliflower caramelizes them so that the vegetables take on a rich brown color. Water leaves the cauliflower and corn as steam, which helps intensify the nutty flavor of the cauliflower and the sweet flavor of the corn. 2) I can be doing something else while the vegetables are roasting in the oven — setting the table, making a salad, or creating a new vegan dessert! 3) Cleanup is a breeze because I roast the vegetables on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and when the roasting process is complete all I have to do is tip the baking sheet over the blender — the veggies go into the blender, the parchment paper goes into the garbage can! (Note: I love to serve this soup with a nice warm kale dish like my Kale & Pine Nut Stir Fry.)