My recent soup craze began on Sunday as the weather well and truly turned cold. I had a go at making this recipe, originally from Delicious Magazine and I really couldn’t believe how easy it was. To make it go further, I doubled the recipe and in total, it cost less than $7 to make. My non-soup loving husband confessed (with a smile) that even though serving him cauliflower soup was “pushing it”, he actually quite liked it! The quantities in this recipe serves 6.
- 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
- 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 potatoes (about 400g), chopped
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 large (about 1kg) cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1/2 cup (125ml) thickened cream
- 1 cup (80g) finely grated parmesan
- 3 bacon rashers, chopped
- 4 bread rolls
- Grated nutmeg and finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, to serve
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line 2 baking trays with foil.
- Heat 2 tbs oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery, onion and garlic, then cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the potato, chicken stock, bay leaf and three-quarters of the cauliflower, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until cauliflower and potatoes are tender.
- Remove from heat, cool slightly, then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Stir through the cream and 1/2 cup (40g) parmesan. Season to taste.
- Meanwhile, place the bacon and remaining cauliflower on one of the lined baking trays. Season with pepper, then drizzle with remaining 1 tbs oil and sprinkle with 2 tbs parmesan. Roast for 10-12 minutes or until crisp. Put the bread rolls on a separate tray, sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup (25g) parmesan and bake for 2 minutes or until golden.
- Divide soup among 4 bowls, then top with crispy cauliflower and bacon. Sprinkle with nutmeg and parsley, drizzle with oil and serve with bread rolls.
foodthatserves 
I’ll vouch for this recipe – our kids loved it too!