A smooth, creamy cauliflower soup, full of flavour from thyme, bay leaf, shallot and garlic. Lovely as a starter or a complete meal, finished with crispy bacon bits and a fresh parsley oil.
Cream of cauliflower soup
Cream of cauliflower soup
Method
01
Make the soup base
Cut the cauliflower into coarse pieces. Halve the head of garlic horizontally and roughly chop the shallots (leave the skin on). Heat a splash of olive oil and briefly fry the cauliflower, garlic, shallots, thyme and bay leaves. Season with pepper and salt.
02
Cook the soup
Deglaze with the vegetable and mushroom stock. Add the cream, milk and Maggi. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 30 minutes.
03
Blend
Remove the garlic and shallots from the pan. Blend the soup with a blender until smooth.
04
Fry the bacon
Fry the bacon cubes in a dry pan until crisp and drain on kitchen paper.
05
Make the parsley oil
Pick the parsley leaves and put them in a blender with sunflower oil. Blend for about 5 minutes to an even, bright green oil. Pour through a piece of muslin in a sieve and leave to drain undisturbed. Store in a (squeeze) bottle.
06
Serve
Gently reheat the soup. Whisk briefly so that it becomes lightly frothy. Pour into bowls, garnish with the bacon and a few drops of parsley oil and serve immediately.
Tips & notes
You can happily make the parsley oil ahead; a few drops add colour and freshness that balance the creamy soup nicely. A pinch of nutmeg goes beautifully with it too. Keeps for 3–4 days in the fridge, and freezes very well (up to 3 months).
Variations
- Replace part of the cauliflower with broccoli for a greener, slightly more robust soup.
- Add a spoonful of curry powder for an oriental twist.
Contains:
Milk
Gluten
Soya
Celery
| Calories | 719 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 16 g |
| Carbohydrates | 20 g |
| Fat | 65 g |
| Fibre | 5 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
