This cream of roasted cauliflower & cheese soup came about because I had a couple of heads that needed to be used. Since we don’t often, and very sadly, get large heads of cauliflower these days, I used two medium ones to make a big pot of soup. Unless you are ordering from a farm producer, the supermarket cauliflower tends to be on the very measly and expensive side of the spectrum.
The high demand from the low-carb diet brigade. I long for the days of buying large unpackaged heads of cauliflower from my grocery store, but they seem to be over. Where can I buy them out of the disastrous Styrofoam and plastic packaging I do. The total weight of the cauliflower I used for this soup was around 1.2k after the leaves were trimmed off.
I decided to roast the cauliflower before to intensify the flavour as I did with my best-ever butternut soup recipe, but you can totally skip this step and add the raw chopped-up cauliflower to the pot when you add the stock and the milk. Just cook it for about 20 minutes longer. When you are pureeing the soup with your stick blender or food processor, add a little extra milk if you want to thin it down. This recipe makes quite a thick soup and a swirl of cream at the end finishes it off. I also reserved a few of small pieces of roasted cauliflower to top the soup and to add texture. I sprinkled these on the soup along with chopped fresh parsley, roasted cashew nuts and finely grated Gruyere.
What toppings can you add to your cauliflower soup?
You can really go mad here with toppings and since cauliflower is quite a neutral-tasting soup, flavourful bits really make it pop.
I added Gruyere cheese which I finely grated and stirred through the soup and as well as sprinkled over the top, but you could just as easily replace it with Parmesan, Pecorino or an aged sharp Cheddar. Blue cheese would also work brilliantly.
You could also add the cheese to a crouton/slice of toasted bread and float that on top like French onion soup. Or make your own croutons from bread by tossing them in the oven with olive oil and seasoning.
Chorizo sausage would also be lovely. Pan-fry chopped-up pieces and use the rendered oil to drizzle over.
Fry sage in sizzling butter until crisp and scatter these on top. I feel you can never get enough crispy fried sage leaves.
I love crunchy bits for texture so any roasted nut or seed would be lovely as well and dukkah.
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Recipe – Makes one large pot of soup which will serve 6 people
Cream of roasted cauliflower & cheese soup
A delicious cream of roasted cauliflower to cosy up to in winter.
Print Recipe
Ingredients
2 small-medium heads of cauliflower weighing 1.2kgs after the leaves are trimmed off
About 3 – 4 Tbsp olive oil
Salt & Pepper
A few thyme stalksoptional and if you have
30gms buttera big knob or 3 Tbsp olive oil
1large onionchopped
1large leekwashed and chopped (optional)
1celery stalkchopped
3garlic cloves chopped
3bay leaves
1-litre vegetable stock
250ml/ 1 cup milk
50– 80gms Gruyere cheesefinely grated (as much as you like)
125ml/ half a cup cream
Chopped parsley to topabout 1 Tbsp
Chopped roasted cashewsoptional
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200C / F and was and trim the cauliflower of the outer leaves. Cut it into medium-sized pieces including the stalk. Toss in olive oil to lightly coat, season with salt and pepper and spread out on a large baking tray. Scatter over the thyme stalks if you are using these. Roast with for about 30 minutes until just cooked through and starting to take on colour.
While the cauliflower is roasting, heat the butter in a large pot and sweat the onions, leek and celery for about 5 minutes until soft, add the garlic and bay and cook for a further minute. If the cauliflower is not yet ready, turn off the heat.
When the cauliflower is roasted, remove from the oven and take out a few of the smaller pieces if you want to use these to top the soup (optional). Keep these warm in the turned-off oven. Add the rest of the roasted cauliflower to the pot with the stock and milk and bring to the boil. Then turn this down to low heat and allow this to simmer for 25 minutes.
When the soup is cooked, remove the bay leaves and either blend with a metal stick blender (heat-proof) straight away, or allow to cool slightly and process in a food processor until smooth. Reheat if necessary. Add the cream or additional milk if you want to thin it down. Dish up and stir through the grated cheese into each bowl. Top with the toppings of your choice and additional cheese.
How to thicken cauliflower soup: Nobody wants an overly-thin soup. We thicken our cauliflower soup by blending the entire soup in batches using a blender or immersion blender once cooked. This (in addition to our heavy cream) helps thicken our soup up nicely to a hearty texture.
Bland cauliflower soup is a result of a lack of seasoning. Here's how to ensure every bowl is packed with flavor. Season twice with salt and pepper: You'll start by seasoning the cauliflower florets with salt and pepper before roasting.
Yes, you can definitely add cream to your soup. Whether you use a few tablespoons or a few cups, cream gives soup a silky mouthfeel and rich flavor. You can definitely add milk or other dairy as well, though it will taste gradually less creamy as you go down in percent.
The best item to thicken a soup is some sort of starch, whether from flour, cornstarch, arrowroot, or even a lot of potatoes. If it is a powder, mix it with cold water and stir to make a smooth, lump-free paste, and stir constantly as you add it to the soup.
This is true of any vegetable — boiling it will give you a flavor closer to the raw flavor, which means more bitterness and more astringency. Caramelizing it will bring out its hidden sweetness. This light, vibrant roasted cauliflower salad is a recipe I developed for the fall menu at Duo.
Foods that have a great deal of acidity, like lemon juice, vinegar, white wine, and tomato puree, can help liven up the flavor of bland-tasting bone and other broths. "The acidity of these ingredients works to complement and enhance the broth's flavors, not mask it.
Herbs and sources add flavor, aroma, and intensity to the soup broth. You can pick fresh or dried herbs like basil for tomato-based soups or fresh parsley for clear broths. You may also add more spices like turmeric, ground ginger, ground paprika, or nutmeg for a touch of spice and color to your soup broth.
When it comes to nutrition, cauliflower is a superstar. It's high in vitamins C and K, and is also a good source of folate, which supports cell growth and is essential during pregnancy. Cauliflower is fat-free and cholesterol-free. And it's low in sodium.
This process – which should last 10-20 minutes - destroys several microbes and large parasites. As cauliflower is highly susceptible to microbial attacks, it should be washed once again. This time, boil some water and put the cauliflower florets in it. Keep for five minutes and remove from the hot water.
It contains no thickeners, boasts 45 to 60 per cent milk fat, and is ideal for dollopping on your desserts, adding to your baking and stirring into soups and slow-cooked meals (we're talking rich, comforting goulash here) to give that extra creamy texture and taste.
Keep in mind that this evaporated milk will make your dish taste richer, but it won't actually thicken the soup. You can always use a bit of flour or cornstarch if you're missing that added texture. Otherwise, you'll find evaporated milk the best dairy addition for your classic slow cooker favorites.
If you started the soup with broth, stock or water, I would wait until the end to add the cream. You can warm the cream, or “temper” it, which is what I do. Take about half a cup of the hot broth and slowly add your cream to that, stirring constantly.
You can add a litle softened cream cheese to the pot in the final step and stir until melted. Or you can add a keto thickener like glucomannan or xanthan gum. Be sure to whisk it in well when the mashed cauliflower is hot. You don't need more than about ¼ teaspoon per head of cauliflower.
If your mashed cauliflower is too watery: Try adding in more cooked cauliflower to offset the liquid. You can also place the pot over medium-low heat and try to cook off some of the excess liquid. Stir frequently to prevent the mash from burning.
Addition of Cornstarch or Flour: Create a slurry by mixing equal parts cornstarch or flour with water. Stir this mixture into the soup and let it simmer for a few minutes until it thickens. Ensure there are no lumps by gradually adding the slurry while stirring constantly.
The most classic and surefire way to thicken a broth-based soup is with a cornstarch slurry. Whisk together equal parts cornstarch (or arrowroot) and water or broth, then whisk it into the pot of soup. A good ratio to get to a pleasant thickness without your soup tasting goopy or heavy is one tablespoon.
Introduction: My name is Rev. Leonie Wyman, I am a colorful, tasty, splendid, fair, witty, gorgeous, splendid person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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Recipe – Makes one large pot of soup which will serve 6 people
