Blogs — Vegan

Raw Cottage Simple Winter Comfort Cauliflower Soup

There’s something to be said about the warmth and comfort brought on by a warm bowl of soup on a cold Winter’s day… it nourishes the body and feeds the soul. This really simple Cauliflower soup is  one of our favourite go-to quick and easy, healthy meals - it is loved by kids and adults alike and can be served in a mug, dressed up in a fancy bowl or even used as a healthy ‘creamy’ pasta sauce for the fussy kids (and there's no cream)! Enjoy!

 Ingredients

• 2 whole cauliflower heads – washed and leaves and core removed
• 3 medium sized brown onions
• 6-8 cloves of garlic – peeled
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt, pepper, Nutmeg, other seasoning to taste
• 2 litres of quality stock (Vegetable or chicken stock work best – homemade is even better!)
• Parmesan cheese/parsley/bread to serve

 Utensils required

• Baking Dish
• Medium sized saucepan (8 -10 litres should suffice)
• Chopping board
• Quality knife
• Blender/stick blender
• Ladle

Method

• Preheat oven to 170°C (160°C if fan-forced)
• Remove leaves from cauliflower and take out the stem/core – wash thoroughly
• Peel onions and garlic cloves, keep whole
• Place onions and 5 garlic cloves in oven-proof dish and cover with cauliflower (this will allow the onions and garlic to steam and cook without browning too much; the steam will also infuse the cauliflower with a subtle flavour).
• Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil and add seasoning to taste – I like to use pink salt, white pepper and nutmeg; however seasoning in accordance with your preferred seasonings.
• Pour a small dash of stock in the bottom of the baking dish (this will help to create steam).
• Bake uncovered in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes until the cauliflower and onions are soft (insert a knife to test). Note: the cooking time can vary depending on the size of the cauliflower heads/onions and the oven - onions and cauliflower should be soft.
• Pop the baked cauliflower (roughly chop if required), onions and garlic into a medium sized saucepan and cover with your preferred choice of stock until just covered (Vegetable or Chicken stock work best – Note: the more liquid you add, the thinner your soup will be, so if you prefer a thick soup or to use as a sauce, use less liquid – if you prefer a very thin soup, use more… the choice is yours!). Bring to boil and add remaining garlic cloves along with any fresh herbs to taste – I generally add thyme. Bring the whole lot to boil and gently simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Blend using a hand-mixed or blender
• Serve with some crusty bread, a couple of sprigs of fresh parsley and some parmesan crisps for a little touch of decadence!

Photos

                  

Questions/Tips

Q – Why do we bake the onions and garlic cloves?

A – Baking the onion and garlic cloves adds a degree of sweetness to them and also infuses their flavour in the cauliflower during the cooking process.

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Q – Can you skip the baking of the cauliflower and just boil it all together

A – Yes, you can, though the flavours will be very different as over roasting allows the flavours to really infuse. If you decide to boil without baking – my suggestion would be to first gently fry the onion until it is soft and caramelised and cut the garlic to half the quantity (unless you like very garlicky/spicy soup!).

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Q – 8 cloves of garlic sounds like a lot – why so many?

A – Because we bake the bulk of the garlic cloves, it takes the spice out of the garlic and makes it deliciously sweet. Adding the un-baked garlic cloves adds a degree of spice; however,  it is optional – so follow your taste buds!

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This is a family favourite - a great way to get some veg into the kids and can be served up as a tasty appetiser or a full meal. 

If you have any simple, tasty and healthy recipes that you would love to share with our Raw Cottage Community, we would love to hear from you, so please feel free to email them through to us at contactus@rawcottage.com.au.

~ Thank you! ~