Cauliflower season is upon us and one that lasts quite a long time. They are easy to grow and few varieties has been introduced which all taste slightly different. There really isn’t much to it other than making sure you’ve got some good quality soil, chuck the seeds in ensuring enough distance to allow for growth; cover and water. These winter staples will see you through all the stews, curries and soups necessary to keep you well fed with goodness. Alternatively just pop to the local veg stall or supermarket!
This is a soup people usually turn their noses up at until they try it. The most common reply is ‘I don’t normally like cauliflower soup and would never order it, but this is delicious’. Sometimes you’ve just got to try it. An Autumn seasonal favourite cauliflower always gets a bad press. I know the latest is having cauliflower rice but a whole roasted cauliflower is honestly dinner party worthy. This soup is a great starting point to any meal and a great introduction to those cauliflower haters!
Ingredients
1 Whole cauliflower with the leaves removed
1 clove garlic
1 Onion chopped
1 small Carrot chopped
1 Celery stick chopped
1 bay leaf
Olive oil
Seasoning
250ml Milk
35g Cheese
500ml Stock
Cumin/caraway
Method:
Pop the oven to 160 and on an oven tray break the cauliflower into florets and scatter over the tray along with the garlic clove. Drizzle with olive oil, season and sprinkle with a few cumin seeds. Cook in the oven for around 15 minutes until golden and roasted through. Next using a saucepan on a medium heat add a tbsp olive oil and your chopped onion, carrot and celery. Allow to cook down for 6-8 minutes – don’t allow to burn. Pop in the bay leaf and now roasted cauliflower, stir to combine and pour in the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Season well and remove from the heat. Pour in the milk, followed by the cheese. Mix together and return to the heat for a further 5-6 minutes. Allow to cool before removing the bay leaf and whizzing to a smooth consistency. Serve hot with either some chilli flakes or toasted seeds as a delicious topping.