Cauliflower is such a versatile vegetable. You can roast it, rice it, pickle it, eat it raw in salads, and it’s a great vegetarian alternative to meat in dishes such as tacos. It carries bold flavours particularly well and it’s used in many Indian dishes. And then there is the match made in heaven: cauliflower + cheese. Whether you’re upping the vegetable count in your Mac and Cheese, or as we are here creating a sumptuous roasted cauliflower cheese soup, it’s a totally delicious flavour combination.
Seasonal simplicity
November is peak season for British Cauliflower, and it grows particularly well in my home county of Cornwall. At their sweetest and most flavourful right now, they are also incredibly affordable, making this soup both delicious and budget-friendly. With cauliflower, you can truly celebrate Autumn’s change in pace with cooking that brings warmth into your kitchen. Let’s not forget that the humble cauli contains high levels of vitamin C, comparable to citrus fruits. A great immune booster for the winter months.
Why roasting changes everything
Cauliflower really is a workhorse in the kitchen. Adding crunch to a crisp salad, pureed with pan-fried scallops, or baked whole with Indian spices. The list is long and distinguished. We could steam the cauliflower for this soup, but we’d miss out on its complex flavours. Roasting is when it really comes alive, bringing a nutty and sweet depth of flavour as the florets tinge a light brown. It really intensifies the cauliflower’s earthy notes.
The cheese factor
Cauliflower cheese, as a dish, is beloved by the British and has adorned the Sunday roast table for generations. The combination of tender cauliflower draped in a creamy, but sharp and tangy, cheese sauce gets me salivating every time. With this soup, we’re taking that classic pairing and dedicating it to a meal in its own right. When it comes to the cheese, you need something mature and punchy. I often use a combination of mature cheddar with some blue cheese. But to be honest, you can add any mix you have in the fridge as long as they are strong in flavour and melt well.
Batch cooking at its best
It’s ideal to double up this roasted cauliflower cheese soup recipe and batch cook for the freezer. Perfect for when you come in from a chilly dog walk and want something quick and warming with a hunk of bread.
Soup recipes
Below you can find a list of some other soup recipes on the site:
- Creamy lentil and carrot
- Carrot and coriander
- Curried parsnip with chilli oil
- Italian Minestrone soup
- Celeriac soup with garlic croutons
- Spiced roasted butternut squash soup
You can use a mix of cheeses for this dish, just ensure that they are strong in flavour and melt well. A combination of cheddar and a blue cheese works really well. This soup is a great way of using up any leftovers from the Christmas Cheeseboard!
Roasted Cauliflower Cheese Soup
Equipment
- 1 Medium large casserole/saucepan with lid
- 1 Large baking tray
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower medium
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 celery stick diced
- 1 clove garlic grated or crushed
- 500 ml chicken or vegetable stock
- 500 ml milk
- 150 g mature cheddar cheese grated
- 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180 °C
- Break the cauliflower into florets around 3cm/1”. Put them in a large bowl, and add in 1 tbsp of the olive oil and season. Toss the florets well.
- Spread the florets out on a baking tray and put in the oven for 30 minutes, flipping them over halfway through, until the edges are catching and turning a light brown.
- Meanwhile, add the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil to your large pan and gently fry your diced onion and celery on a medium heat for around 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the crushed garlic clove and the leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme, and cook for another couple of minutes.
- Pour in your stock and milk and warm gently until simmering.
- When the cauliflower is ready, set aside a small handful of 'cauliflower popcorn' to decorate the soup, and gently tip the rest into the pan and allow the flavours to infuse over a medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Add in your grated cheese and stir until melted.
- Either with a stick blender (or carefully transferring to a standalone blender), you need to puree the soup until lovely and smooth. If you have used a stand-alone blender, at this point pour the soup back into your pan to warm through until gently bubbling.
- Serve the soup in bowls with a sprinkling of the remaining fresh thyme leaves, and the reserved 'cauliflower popcorn', alongside some lovely crusty bread for dunking if you wish.
Notes
- You can use a mix of cheeses for this dish, just ensure that they are strong in flavour and melt. A combination of cheddar and a blue cheese works really well.
- This recipe is a great way to use up the leftover Christmas cheeseboard!
