Creamy Cauliflower Soup

When myself and Mr K were on our adventures we had to live a slightly feral existence. We didn’t want for anything and of course we still insisted that everything we cooked was freshly made, tasty and gourmet, sometimes helped by the fact that we often bought our veggies straight from the farmer and had the freedom to visit local producers and design entire menus on the day. We were however restricted by what we could fit in the boot of the car and by the cooking facilities available (often just the camp fire!).

One time we had this crazy craving for bangers and mash despite the impending monsoon tropical heat of The Kimberly, so I once found myself making mashed potato by pushing potatoes through a very fine sieve.

The box of goodies-sieve included

The first time I made this soup I used a very similar fine sieve to make it super creamy. It worked a treat (for the potatoes too) but a quick blast in the liquidiser does the job just the same and is much faster. Trust me this soup is so moreish you won’t want to waste a drop or time pushing it through a sieve, unless of course you are living out of the back of a station wagon and don’t have any choice.

Other than decisions around how you’ll get the lumps out this is a super easy recipe with only 5 ingredients. The cauliflower is the star so make this when they are in season and look deliciously creamy.

So tell me, have you ever gone to crazy lengths just to satisfy a craving for food even for something as simple as bangers and mash?

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients

Makes about 6 serves depending on the size of cauliflower

·         1 Cauliflower, broken into florets

·         1 onion

·         2 cloves garlic

·         1 TBSP Olive Oil

·         1-2L of vegetable stock (depends on how much cauliflower you have)

1.   Chop the onion and garlic roughly then add to a large saucepan with the olive oil. Cook gently to soften.

2.   Add the cauliflower and enough stock to cover. (I needed 2L to cover the huge cauliflower Mr K insisted on buying).

3.   Bring to the boil then simmer gently until the cauliflower is soft. Keep covered so that it doesn't reduce too much.

4.   Allow to cool.

5.   Liquidise (or sieveJ) to obtain a beautiful creamy consistency. Add more stock if too thick.

6.   Reheat and serve with crusty bread.

To make it super tasty, and a little naughty, you can throw in a handful of grated cheese (cheddar or blue is best) and allow to melt. The soup also freezes really well.