"Fall"ing for Soups

Now that the temperature in Central Florida has dipped below 90 degrees, it's starting to finally feel like Fall. It has been lovely to open up the windows, pull out the pumpkin decor, and unearth my sweaters (even though they're light-weight) from the back of my closet.

Fall and Winter have always been my diet-downfall seasons, but this year, I'm determined to keep up my Spring/Summer eating routines. I've been gluten and wheat-free for a little over 3 months, and have been trying to eat from the Paleo diet as much as possible. Basically, that's meats, fruits, veggies, and nuts. It's actually not as restricting as you'd think. And I have to say I feel better than ever, with lots of energy. I've been experimenting with some recipes, and I am totally addicted to this one, so I thought I'd pass it on. It's hearty and healthy, and you can add different proteins to it to make it a more filling meal. Hope you like it too. :)

Thai Coconut Roasted Cauliflower Soup

1 Head of Cauliflower, or you can cheat, like me and buy the already cleaned and cut bag at Whole Foods.
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil
32oz. pkg of College Inn Thai Coconut Curry Chicken broth
1 Leek
1/2 lime juiced
Salt, Pepper, and Crushed Red Pepper flakes to taste
Cilantro to garnish
**Protein of choice, if desired** I like really thin sliced chicken that I marinate in a little of the chicken broth and the other half of the lime juice and some red pepper flakes. I usually cook it with a little chili oil and throw it into the soup. It's good with shrimp too.

Serves 4 to 6 people

Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil and roast at 350 degrees for an hour. Make sure you cover with foil or your cauliflower will get too brown. I usually use two bags of the already cut and cleaned cauliflower.
Saute the leek with a little olive oil until they're soft.
After roasted, blend the cauliflower with a 1 1/2 cup of the chicken broth. Add more broth if you don't want your soup too thick.
Pour the blended cauliflower into a soup pan with the sauteed leeks, add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and juice of 1/2 lime. Add more broth to achieve the consistency you like. I like my soup a little thicker, so I don't use too much more than the amount needed to blend it up.
Cook your choice of protein if you like and add it to the soup.

You can customize this soup just by changing the type of broth and some of the spices, so get creative. If you make something yummy, I'd love to hear about it!