Warming, creamy, nourishing, comforting….this soup is just beautiful on a chilly winter evening. A bowl of healthy goodness that is ready in only 20 minutes. As it reheats very well it would make a wonderful lunch the next day to take to school or work in a flask.
The Parmesan Crisps* are a lovely optional addition. They are so very easy to make and are delicious crumbled over the top of the cauliflower soup. They are also lovely with tomato and broccoli soups, or on their own as a crunchy snack.
Cauliflower Soup with Crispy Bacon
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 1 medium Onion or Leek , sliced
- 2 sticks Celery , sliced
- 2 cloves Garlic , diced
- 1 large Cauliflower , roughly chopped
- 3 cups Beef or Chicken Bone Broth , or stock
- 1 tbsp Fresh Thyme , finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Full Cream Milk or Pouring Cream
- 1/2 cup Parmesan , finely grated
- 1 tsp Nutmeg , finely grated
- 1 tsp Salt , unrefined
- 1/2 tsp Pepper , freshly ground
- 4 rashers Pastured Bacon* , diced
Instructions
- Heat 2 tbsp butter in a large pan and gently cook onion and celery until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add garlic, cauliflower, broth and thyme. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for approximately 10 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining tbsp of butter in a frypan and fry the bacon over a low heat until crisp.
- Stir the milk or cream, parmesan, nutmeg, salt and pepper into the soup.
- Remove the soup from the heat, cool a little, and blend with a stick blender or in a food processor until smooth. Taste for seasoning, adding a little more milk or broth if the soup is too thick.
- Ladle the soup into 4 bowls and top each with a sprinkle of bacon, a few thyme leaves and the optional Parmesan Crisps*.
Optional Ideas:
- * Make Parmesan Crisps by first preheating the oven to 175C. Mix 1 cup of finely grated parmesan with 1/2 tsp Italian mixed dried herbs. Sprinkle the cheese in little piles on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Let them cool and crisp before serving.
- Try replacing the parmesan in the soup and in the crisps with different types of cheese. Gruyere or cheddar would be lovely.
- For a vegetarian version of this soup use a vegetable stock and top with a sprinkle of chopped nuts, such as pine nuts, hazelnuts or almonds, instead of the bacon.
- Make a Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup by replacing half of the cauliflower with broccoli.
- Use different herbs in place of the thyme, such as parsley, rosemary or oregano.
Notes
We sell and love the range of bacons from the wonderful pastured meat companies Bundarra Berkshires and Gamze Smokehouse, who source whole, pasture-raised livestock directly from farms committed to genuinely sustainable soil, plant and animal health. The animals are pasture-raised, meaning they live their lives outside, ranging freely in family groups on sustainably-managed pastures.
