Creme of cauliflower and blue cheese soup

Tam West

The secret to making this soup is to use only the cauliflower “flowers” or florets and not the stalks and to fry them slowly at low temperature so they don’t caramelise and burn. Maximum flavour will be carefully teased out and brought to its peak. Blue cheese goes particularly well with this but any cheese will do if you’re not a blue fan. Ciabatta and sourdough make excellent rustic croutons, a perfect way to use up any leftover “ends”. This soup freezes well and keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Ingredients

50 g	Butter
½ cup	Onions, finely diced
1 tsp	Garlic, crushed
¾ tsp	Salt
3 cups	Cauliflorets, shaved; tips from 1 medium cauliflower (Main)
4 cups	Milk
1 Tbsp	Olive oil
1 cup	Bread, torn into pieces, use ciabatta or sourdough
100 g	Blue cheese (Main)

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan gently melt butter, add onion, garlic, salt and cauliflower.
2. Cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes, stir regularly to ensure cauliflower does not stick.
3. Add enough milk so the cauliflower is just covered.
4. Cut a circle of baking paper large enough to cover the cauliflower. Cut a small 5 cent-sized hole right in the centre, place on top of the cauliflower. Simmer on a low heat for 20-30 minutes until cauliflower is completely soft.
5. Meanwhile, make croutons. Heat oil in a frying pan, add torn pieces of bread and stir over a medium-high heat constantly until bread begins to turn golden. Season with a little salt.
6. Drain cauliflower well in a sieve then place cauliflower (and not milk) into a food processor or jug blender. Puree until completely smooth, adding enough of the strained milk to get a creamy soup consistency. Strain through a fine sieve.
7. Gently reheat soup in a clean saucepan. Ladle into hot bowls, crumble over pieces of blue cheese and garnish with croutons.

More warm, nourishing soups from Geoff

• Smoked hock, carrot and kale broth
• Roast garlic and butternut soup