Creamy roast cauliflower and garlic soup
Ingredients
- Head of garlic
- 2 cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 4 -5 Tbs olive oil
- 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock (I used 3 Continental stock gels + 6 cups water)
- 1 heaped tsp dried thyme
- ¾ cup cream
- Salt and pepper
- *Shredded chicken, optional
Method
Preheat oven to 220 degrees and place baking paper in a roasting dish.
Cut the top off the garlic head, about 2-3cm down, so that the top of the cloves show. Place the head, cut side up, on a square of tinfoil and pour 1 Tbs oil over. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the foil up to enclose the garlic bulb and place on the baking paper in the baking dish.
Add the cauliflower florets to the baking dish and pour over about 3 Tbs olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and gently toss.
Roast cauliflower and garlic until tender, about 35 minutes. Cool, then squeeze garlic cloves from the skin (if not tender enough, use the flat blade of a large knife to squash them and the skin falls away).
Heat 1 Tbs olive oil in a large stock pot and add sliced onion. Stir until tender, then stir in prepared stock and thyme. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.
Add the cauliflower and garlic, bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the cauliflower is very tender, about 10 minutes.
Use a stick blender to blend until nice and smooth, then add cream and season to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more cream or stock.
*I add shredded chicken to each serving to bump up the protein content.
