Creamy Cauliflower & Apple Soup Shooters

½  yellow onion , chopped 
3½ cup unsweetened plain almond milk 
½ teaspoon fine sea salt 
1 (16-ounce) package frozen cauliflower 
2 medium apples, such as Honey crisp or Braeburn , peeled, cored and chopped 
1 tablespoon juice and 1 teaspoon zest from 1 lemon , divided 
½ cup blanched slivered almonds , toasted 
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 

In a medium pot, cook onion over medium-high heat, stirring often, until softened and light golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in almond milk, salt, cauliflower and apples; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until very tender, about 30 minutes. Working carefully, use an immersion blender or traditional blender (allowing steam to escape) to puree soup until very smooth; stir in lemon juice.   

In a small bowl, combine almonds, parsley and lemon zest. Pour soup into small cups, top with almond mixture and serve. 

Garnished with toasted almonds, fragrant lemon zest and fresh parsley, this rich cauliflower and apple soup is easy to pass around at a party, where guests can sip it from small cups, no spoon required! Or serve it for a warming lunch or dinner with a salad and some whole grain bread.