A thick, creamy and intensely flavoured soup using seasonal roasted cauliflower and garlic cloves blitzed up with stock and parmesan cheese. If you need something to perk up a dull January lunchtime, you need to start with a bowl of this phenomenally tasty soup.
As it’s such a flavoursome little number it would also make for a fantastic dinner party starter, especially if you create the crumble topping. A simple sprinkle of crushed almonds and grated parmesan elevates it from an ordinary-looking bowl of cream liquid, to a rather fetching, straight-off-the-pages-of-a-glossy-food-mag show stopper! It also gives the soup a bit of crunch to go with the smooth, which makes for a more satisfying eating experience.
This recipe makes enough for two generous lunchtime portions, or four small starters which you could serve in pretty vintage tea cups to kick off a feast for friends.
If you’ve got a decent blender, like my Optimum Froothie then there’s no need for pots and pans because after roasting the veggies, you simply bung all the ingredients in the blender and blitz. The friction created by the speed of the blades will actually heat your soup if you leave it running for 4-5 minutes. It’s a marvellous thing.
Roasting cauliflower in olive oil and salt totally transforms this underrated vegetable into a nutty and robust-tasting delight. It’s a far cry from the over-boiled putrid smelling cruciferous veg drenched in watery cheese sauce of cheap pub sunday lunches. I feel inspired to create a roasted cauliflower spin on the classic cauliflower cheese, and also to use it in some warm winter salads.
Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic Soup with Almond and Parmesan Crumble
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower
5 garlic cloves
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
500 ml vegetable stock
35g parmesan, grated (or vegetarian alternative)
For the crumble topping
75g salted almonds
35g parmesan, grated
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 200C/220C fan/gas 6. Cut the cauliflower into florets and spread out in a baking tin along with the garlic cloves. Add the oil and salt and give it all a good shake to get everything nicely coated. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, taking out to shake every 10 minutes. It’s ready once the cauliflower is tender as well as golden.
- Make up 500ml of hot vegetable stock and pop into a blender along with the roasted cauliflower. You’ll need to pop the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins before adding them. Blitz in the blender until smooth, then add the cheese and blend again.
- To make the crumble topping you can either pulse the nuts and grated cheese in a small food processor, or pop the nuts into a bag and bash with a rolling pin, then add the cheese, give it all a good shake and you’re done.
- When you’re ready to serve gently heat the soup in a pan and then pour into bowls and scatter with the crumble topping, along with a few sprigs of fresh thyme, a drizzle of olive oil and a twist of black pepper.
More ideas with roasted cauliflower
Kate from Veggie Desserts has tips for using the entire cauliflower in her blog post which is pretty inspiring: Cauliflower Leaf Miso Soba Soup + Miso Roasted Cauliflower
Laura from How To Cook Good Food as put together a beautiful looking salad: Roasted Cauliflower and Pomegranate Salad with a Lemon Anchovy Dressing
Jan from A Glug of Oil made a creamy soup using roasted cauliflower and plenty of cheddar cheese: Roasted Cauliflower and Cheese Soup
Kellie from Food To Glow has lots of inspiration for amazing ways to use both roasted and unroasted cauliflower, but her vegan spin on a much-loved sweet and sour style recipe is definitely one i’m going to try on for size: Roasted Cauliflower Marbella
Link-ups
I’m hooking my recipe up with some brilliant blogging events…
Souper Soup with Jo’s Kitchen
Credit Crunch Munch from Fab Food 4 All and Fuss Free Flavours
Extra Veg with Utterly Scrummy and Fuss Free Flavours who is playing host this month
Tasty Tuesdays over on Honest Mum
Recipe of the Week with A Mummy Too
No Croutons Required from Tinned Tomatoes and Lisa’s Kitchen who is hosting this month’s round
Disclosure: I am an ambassador for Optimum Froothie and have included affiliate links in this blog post. If anyone decided to purchase one of these blenders after reading my post and clicks on the link I will receive a small percentage of the sales.
I have been using cauliflower more and more and in different ways. I haven’t had a cauliflower soup before but this looks and sounds so good! x #recipeoftheweek
Oh you must try it Kirsty! Thanks for your comment 🙂
I know I would LOVE this! Roasted cauliflower is one of my favourites – and I love that almond and parmesan topping!
Thanks Becca… it’s really filling so perfect if you’re trying not to snack in the afternoons like me!!!!
I LOVE the sound of this – all my favourite flavours all wrapped up in one gorgeous warming soup. Perfection!
Thanks Elizabeth… it certainly delivers on the flavour front!
Once you eat roasted cauliflower, it’s hard to eat it any other way. Your soup and the crunchy topping sounds amazing Katie, I will be giving this is go as it’s sooo cold now!
Thanks Laura, it certainly warms the cockles 🙂
oooh, this is a joyous soup. I love the flavour of roasted cauli.. lovely stuff!
Thanks Dom!
Oh this looks lovely! I think I might have to try it out
Thanks Kelly – let me know how you get on if you do make it!
I love soup, especially at this time of year. This cauliflower and garlic soup looks just heavenly!
Thanks Isabella! yes it’s soup season for sure!
Adding the garlic must have added a brilliant taste to this soup as cauliflower can be bland cooked on its own.
Roasting garlic makes it lovely and sweet so it definitely adds bags of flavour, but the believe me the roasted cauliflower is anything but bland!
Roasting cauliflower is the way to go! Your soup looks so good Katie, I could eat a bowl of that right now (yes 6.30am)
Thanks for the link 🙂
Breakfast soup… now there’s an idea Jan!
I love roasted cauliflower soup – roasting the cauliflower just brings out the flavour. But what a creative twist with this topping. I love it!
Thanks Dannii, I love creating toppers for soups as it allows you to add extra flavours and textures.
Love this so much-incredible! Roasting always brings out the flavour of vegetables too and really adds depth to a soup. Gorgeous photography. Thanks for linking up to #tastytuesdays x
Roasting vegetables is definitely the way forward… it’s worth that extra bit of time I think. Thanks for stopping by to comment 🙂
Ooh, I would love a bowl of this right now. Roasting cauliflower really does make a difference and I love your fabulous topping. Your photo looks glossy and beautiful 😉
Thanks so much Choclette that’s really lovely!
I keep meaning to make cauliflower soup but somehow never ever get round to it. Your version sounds so creamy and tempting.
Thanks Bintu… it’s really worth having a try!
Adore roasted cauliflower, either on its own or blended like this. Recently I made a hummus with it too – lovely! This soup looks right up my street!
Oooh hummus, what a great idea!
I don’t know what it is about roasted cauliflower but it transforms a veg I kinda like into one I really like! Great recipe. I add a teeny few cumin seeds to my version and then a sprinkling on top too.
I will use this one at the cafe too 😉
Cumin is a great idea Urvashi… will try adding that to my next batch!
This looks delicious! I love cauliflower and must make this soup. Thank you for entering #SuperSoup
Thanks Jo, it’s great to see all those soup ideas on your site!
I’m definitely going to try this – I ordered cauliflower soup at Gusto the last time I was there and OMG it was amazing. I’d love to attempt it myself.
You should def try it Samantha, honestly it’s dead easy 🙂
Roasted veggie soup is always so so good. I am increasingly cauli addicted!
Thanks for sharing with #creditcrunchmunch and #extraveg
Thanks Helen, yes Cauliflower is my new fave veggie this winter!
I make something similar (with an oatcake and smoked almond crumble topping) but not nearly as pretty! I agree that roasted cauliflower is the way to go. Nothing short of transformative. If only the school dinner ladies youth had done this trick a lot more people would be in love with this love or hate vegetable. Lovely recipe and images, Katie. 🙂
Your topping sounds wonderful Kellie, i’ll have to try that! Thanks for stopping by and commenting 🙂
Ooo that does look delicious! and I love the sound of the almond & parmesan topping, yum!! 😀
The topping is particularly lovely… the crunch from the almonds… mmmm
Lovely combination of flavors. Thanks so much for sharing with NCR.
Ooh Katie this cauliflower soup sounds and looks absolutely divine! I never make cauliflower soup and really should! Thanks for entering #CreditCrunchMunch:-)
Thanks Camilla!
Given that I’ve always enjoyed roasted cauli when I’ve eaten it I don’t know why I don’t do it more at home, and I love the idea of it in a soup, more flavour than raw or boiled I bet!
I made this tonight and my omni husband ate it right up! (Vegan style for me.) incredibly easy and very tasty. I guessed at how much oil to toss in to the cauliflower roast pan – I didn’t see it in the list of ingredients…? Thanks, Katie!
I’m glad you enjoyed it… totally forgot to include the amount of oil… oooops! Will change that asap… thanks for letting me know 🙂