As Autumn sets in now is the time to start the soup recipes and there is no better place to start than with this delicious Cauliflower and Cheese soup. It is a favourite of mine and made regularly in my home, served with some delicious crusty bread. It keeps in the frudge for up to 4 days so make a little extra for later in the week. Alternative, get into the habit of freezing soups in portion sizes, it become quite cost effective too.
Cauliflower & Cheese Soup
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 Cauliflower – Florets separated and cut down if very large pieces
4 or 5 charlotte potatoes – peeled and cut in half
1 litre of vegetable stock
4 sticks of celery – finely diced into ½ cm cubes
5 bay leaves
25g unsalted butter
1 tsp salt or to taste
5 black peppercorns fresh or dried, add in whole
50 g cheddar cheese or Manchego cheese is delightful
Splash double cream or crème fraise
Cooking Instructions:
In a large stock pan, melt the butter then add the bay leaves, celery, and black peppercorns garlic. Stir well and cook with the lid on for 15 minutes on a low heat, you want to soften the vegetables without colouring. Now add the cauliflower and potatoes, Stir in, replace the lid and continue to cook on a low heat for a further 15 minutes, stirring gently from time to time.
Now add the stock and bring to the boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat to a gentle simmer, return the lid and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat and liquidise the soup very gently; or if you prefer a little more texture then use a potato masher to mash the solid vegetables.
Return to the heat; now add the cheese and cream and check the seasoning after the cheese has disintegrated (cheese can be salty and will therefore add its own seasoning). Sprinkle a little cheese on top and grill for a few minutes to develop a little crust … garnish with a few strands of rocket if desired or trying to show off your culinary skills to your family and friends …..
Serve with some fresh crusty bread – Enjoy
Cooks tip 1: Use broccoli instead of cauliflower if desired
Cooks tip 2: Manchego Cheese or stilton cheese is delightful
Cookts tip 3: Everytime you add another ingredients to the pan increase the heat to bring the contents back up to temperature, However remember to return the heat back to the correct cooking temperature once you’ve got the temperature back up. Most dishes cook better ‘low and slow’.
Health tips 1: Cauliflower is from the same family as broccoli. It is rich in folate, vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene.
Folate helps in making and stimulating blood; Folate is also essential for growth of body tissues and can prevent severe diseases like cancer and heart disease. Vitamin C, acts as anti-oxidant; Vitamin E and beta-carotene, makes our immune system strong.
Kumud Gandhi is a Nutritional Food Scientist bestselling Author, Broadcaster, and Keynote Speaker on the subject of nutritional health for productivity & performance in the workplace. In 2010 Kumud founded ‘The Cooking Academy’ a cookery school that focusses on cooking for nutritional health and wellbeing. Kumud regularly presents to international audiences on a variety of topics such as ‘Eating for Immunity and a Lifetime of Wellness’. She is an expert in the field of Wellness in the Workplace and works with organizations to create transformational change in employee health & well-being through nutrition and health coaching.
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