Roasted Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup

Today I had a great run on the treadmill. I really feel like I'm getting back to where I was before surgery. I don't feel nearly as tired and I'm enjoying running again. One of the things I love about running the most is the great "me" time. I always have the best thinking time when I'm on a run. Or even better, when your mind just goes empty and you can just relax.

I'm running my first 5k post surgery this weekend and I couldn't be more excited. Even though I'm not the fastest (and probably wont ever be) I love road races so much. There's the excitement of racing mixed with being surrounded by people who love running as much as you do. I can't wait until Saturday!

One of the tricks I have learned to help get a great, home cooked dinner on the table almost every night is to use the weekend to make things in advanced. Things like soup really keep well and just need to be heated up when you get home for the day. Throw together a salad and all of a sudden you have dinner done with minimal effort.

We are big fans of cauliflower at my house but if your house isn't feel free to substitute with broccoli.

Ingredients
- 1 medium head of cauliflower cut into florets
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper to taste

1.) Preheat the oven to 450 F
2.) On a large sheet pan, toss the cauliflower  and onion with the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste
3.) Roast the cauliflower about 30 minutes until golden brown and soft, stirring a few times
4.) Meanwhile, heat up the chicken stock in a large dutch oven until simmering
5.) Add the roasted cauliflower mixture and bring to a simmer
6.) Partially cover the pot and simmer for about 20 minutes until the cauliflower is really soft then add the cayenne
7.) Using an immersion blender or blender, puree the soup until smooth
8.) Melt in the cheese, stirring until smooth
9.) Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

We topped ours with leftover roasted grape tomatoes from the mac and cheese and crunchy fried onions. Other great toppings would be extra cheese (always a good thing), croutons or crunchy bread.