This simple but delicious soup has minimal ingredients and maximum flavour. Roasting the cauliflower provides wonderful depth of flavour through slight caramelisation. We suggest using a creamy blue cheese like Gippsland Shadows of Blue or Blue Castello although our preference is always the Shadows of Blue.
Ingredients
70gm butter
1 medium head of cauliflower
1 leek
1 litre chicken stock
500ml water
2 bay leaves
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
100gm creamy blue cheese
Method
Heat the oven to 200C.
On a baking paper lined baking tray melt the 50gm of the butter by placing it briefly in the oven.
Cut the cauliflower into florets, placing them on the tray and rolling them in the butter to coat.
Sprinkle the cauliflower pieces with half a teaspoon of salt and some fresh ground black pepper.
Roast the cauliflower in the oven for 30 minutes, turning once after 15 minutes. It doesn't have to be fully cooked, just flecked with brown.
In the meantime, dice the leek and sauté it in the remaining 20gm of butter in a large saucepan over gentle heat.
Cook gently with out browning the leek until it is soft; about 15 minutes.
When the cauliflower is roasted and the leek cooked, add the cauliflower to the saucepan with the stock, the water and the bay leaves. The water is to allow for evaporation as the cauliflower cooks. If it reduces too much just add a little more water.
Simmer gently for 30 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft then remove from heat.
Remove and discard the bay leaves and add 1 teaspoon of salt and some fresh ground black pepper then blend with a stick blender until smooth and thickened.
Dice and add blue cheese and blend again, then taste for seasoning. Adjust if necessary then gently reheat and serve.
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