Last night Mr. W surprised me with tickets to the Nutcracker (insert squeals of utter Christmas delight). In return I thought I would surprise him with his favourite Roasted Cauliflower Soup. This soup is incredibly easy to make and equally delicious.
You will need:
1 large head of cauliflower
1 large onion
4 cups of stock
A few glugs of olive oil
Pinch of sea salt
I happened to have a leftover chicken carcass in the freezer from dinner last week. I made an easy stock by adding water, carrots, garlic, onion, celery, rosemary and salt and pepper. As it is Christmas I added a few dashes of nutmeg and cinnamon. Yum. Bring to a boil and let simmer for several hours then remove bones and strain. There will be thin layer of oil and fat which can be removed with a gravy separator. Alternatively, let the stock chill until you can spoon off the top layer. *You can easily use store bought stock or vegetable stock for this recipe but make sure it is gluten & yeast free if those sort of things bother you.
Now for the easy stuff. As this is roasted cauliflower soup we should start with the roasting. Take a head of cauliflower and roughly chop into small evenly sized cubes. Don't forget the stem as this is packed with vitamins. Toss them in a few tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt and roast at 170°C or 350°F for around 40 minutes or until tender and lightly browned.
Heat a few glugs of olive oil over medium heat. Add one chopped white onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. Once cooked add the cauliflower to the same pot. Cover with 4 cups of stock. I went crazy and added one medium peeled potato (sliced thin) to make this soup a little more hearty. Next let the soup simmer. Put on your favourite holiday dress, listen to Christmas music, do the dishes, whatever, but be sure to be back in 15 minutes. The cauliflower should be tender by then.
Spoon small batches into a blender and blend until smooth. Be sure to use small batches as the steam is liable to blow the lid off. Hold the blender lid down tight with a kitchen towel and vent the lid if possible. Transfer the blended soup back into the pot and simmer until ready to serve.
Or alternatively, chill in the fridge and reheat for Mr. W when you get home from the ballet. Either way, its delicious.
