Description
You’d never guess that this lusciously creamy roasted cauliflower cheese soup uses no cream at all! It’s silky smooth, ultra cheesy, and made with simple, everyday ingredients. Ready in under an hour with minimal hands-on time, it’s perfect cozy-season food. Top with a drizzle of chili oil and serve with crusty bread for a wonderful, warming bowl of good-for-you comfort.
Ingredients
For the soup -
- 1 large head of cauliflower
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 1 whole head of garlic
- 1 white onion, diced
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup grated cheese (I like using sharp cheddar)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
To serve -
- Reserved roasted cauliflower florets and leaves
- 1 tablespoon chili oil (try this 30 minute chili oil) or olive oil
- 2 tablespoons crumbled cheese
Equipment -
- Blender or immersion (stick) blender
Instructions
- Prepare your cauliflower. Start by heating your oven to 425°F (220°C fan). Chop your cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Don’t throw the stalk or leaves away! Chop the stalks up to roast, and set aside the small leaves. Add the cauliflower florets and chopped stalks to an oven dish or parchment paper-lined oven tray. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Roast the cauliflower. Give the cauliflower a good mix so it’s well coated in oil and salt. Cut the whole head of garlic in half, so you’re cutting across the cloves. Drizzle the exposed cloves with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then wrap in a piece of aluminum foil. Transfer the cauliflower and garlic to the oven, then roast for 30 minutes. You want the cauliflower to be slightly charred on top and the garlic to be soft and squeezable.
- Cook the onion. While the cauliflower and garlic are roasting, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large pot over medium heat, then add the diced onion and ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring, as the onion starts to soften. If you find it starts to burn, add a splash of water to slow the cooking down. Once the onion is soft, pour in 4 cups of stock.
- Simmer the soup. Remove the cauliflower and garlic from the oven, then set aside a handful of the florets to scatter on top of your finished soup. Transfer the rest into the pot with the onion and stock. Leave the garlic to sit for a few minutes to cool slightly before squeezing the cloves out of their skins and adding them to the pot. Simmer for 10 minutes to soften the cauliflower further and for the flavors to meld.
- Roast the cauliflower leaves (optional). While the soup simmers, add the reserved cauliflower leaves to the empty oven dish and drizzle with a little olive oil. Roast for 5 minutes until the leaves are a little charred, then set aside.
- Blend the soup. You can use either an immersion blender or a stand blender for this step. If you’re using a stand blender, you’ll want to let the soup cool slightly before adding it to your blender. Blitz for a couple of minutes, then add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, and the ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg, then blitz again until super smooth and creamy.
- Add the cheese. Pour the soup back into the pot (if you’ve used a stand blender), then add the cheese and stir so it melts into the soup. Taste, and add a little more lemon juice or salt if it needs it – the salt level will differ based on the cheese you use, so taste it and see. If it tastes like something is missing, it needs a little more salt and lemon juice. Add little bits at a time, as it’s easy to add too much. Divide between bowls, top with a little more crumbled cheese, the reserved cauliflower florets and leaves, then drizzle with chili or olive oil.
Notes
SAVE TIME: I love the added flavor you’ll get through roasting the cauliflower; HOWEVER, you can skip this step if you’re low on time. Just add the florets straight into the pot with the onion and stock and simmer for 15 minutes until soft and tender. If you’re doing it this way, add 3 crushed garlic cloves to the pot along with the onion.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: This soup keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last for 5 days, so you can use it throughout the week – it makes a wonderful lunch. You can also freeze the soup. I like to portion it into zip-lock bags for easy storage and quick defrosting. You can defrost in a pot on the stovetop, in the microwave, or let defrost at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
INGREDIENT NOTES: Make sure you shred your own cheese here – pre-shredded cheese comes with a coating (usually corn or potato starch) to prevent it from sticking together in the packet. This means it won’t melt as seamlessly into the soup and could end up grainy.
MAKE IT YOUR OWN: Play around with your toppings – crispy bacon, chorizo, or crumbled sausage makes for an excellent addition. You can also bulk it out and add extra protein by stirring through shredded rotisserie chicken, white beans, or chickpeas, to serve.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 45
- Category: soups
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: british
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 229
- Sugar: 4.5g
- Sodium: 355mg
- Fat: 15.25g
- Saturated Fat: 6.1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8.9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 3.6g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 26mg