Roasted Broccoli and Lemon Soup

For the Soup

• Head of broccoli
• Head of cauliflower
• Sweet onion
• Robust, high-quality olive oil
• Generous salt and pepper
• Zest of 1-2 lemons
• 2-4 c veggie stock
• Juice of 1-2 lemons

For Garnishing

• Pesto
• Pine nuts
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425 and oil a very large sheet tray (or two smaller sheet trays).
2. Cut the cauliflower and broccoli into florets and cut the onion into small wedges.
3. Lay the veggies out across the prepared sheet tray(s). More surface area yields more browning, so make sure to give them plenty of space.
4. Drizzle the veggies with a bit of additional olive oil, then salt and pepper liberally.
5. Roast the veggies for about 30-45 minutes until caramelized and flavorful, tossing a couple times as needed.
6. A few minutes before the end of the roasting time, zest a lemon or two over the veggies. Put them back into the oven for just a couple minutes. This will allow the lemon zest to release its fragrant oils.
7. Place the roasted veggies, lemon juice, and 1 c vegetable broth to a blender and blend until you have a rich, thick texture, adding more broth as needed. You may need to work in several batches.
8. Pour the soup into a medium-sized pot over low heat. Keep it barely at a simmer for 15 minutes to finish bringing the flavors together. Feel free to add some additional stock (or just water) to achieve your desired texture.
9. To serve, ladel the soup into a bowl and swirl the top with a generous dollop of pesto. Finish it with a sprinkle of pine nuts and freshly ground black pepper.