Ever had a day you don't feel like cooking? Make this soup for the fastest easiest homemade soup ever.
I love cauliflower, hubby doesn't. But this soup is one of my favorites, and it's so easy to make. I've found if I add crispy bacon bits to hubby's portion he gobbles this up, so this is easily adaptable for meat eaters just by adding some crispy bacon. This also works with just broccoli, or just cauliflower, so adapt the recipe as you see fit.
I use white cheddar made with vegetarian rennet, and parmesan cheese, for the cheeses in this.
Ingredients
1 cauliflower 1 broccoli water to cover both 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon paprika 1 medium potato, or 2 small potatoes, or 1 medium sweet potato 120g white cheddar cheese grated Parmesan cheese 1 large knob of butter (about 1-2 tablespoons) 1/2 cup milk (I still want to try make this with coconut cream to see how it turns out)
This is such an easy recipe, and it cooks so fast that it's an utter joy to make. This is comfort food on a budget and in a hurry.
Rinse the cauliflower and the broccoli. Put them in a pot that just fits both, leafs and everything, no need to remove the leafs, cover with water, add some salt, and put on the boil. While that gets going wash and peel your potato/s. Use sweet potato for diabetics or if you're watching your weight, or use normal potato. Finely dice the potato and add to the pot. Put the lid back on and leave to cook on medium-high until all the veggies are soft. (± 35 minutes)
While the veggies cook and soften in the pot, put your potato peelings onto a metal baking tray, drizzle lightly with olive oil and a little salt, and pop them in a 190ºC oven until they're dried out and crispy (this is used on the top instead of croutons). I call these potato peelings, 'compost'. They look just like dried leaves. I use sweet potato and normal potato peels to make compost (and I make a bunch of them when I'm making mash, all those peels last for weeks in the fridge all crispy and ready to add to salads and soups for crunch). • Once they're cooked take them out of the oven and drain them on kitchen towel.
As soon as your veggies are soft, take the broccoli and cauliflower off the heat. Ladle into a liquidiser / blender and blend until very smooth. If you have an immersible blender you're lucky, grab that and blend all ingredients in the pot until smooth.
Put the pot back on the heat, so it simmers softly. Add to this your cheddar cheese (sliced thinly so it melts fast), 30 mls parmesan cheese, the black pepper, more salt, and paprika. Lastly add the milk and butter. Stir until the cheese has completely melted. Taste it, add more salt / pepper if needed.
Ladle into soup mugs and serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and compost.
* for meat eaters add one slice of crispy bacon, finely crumbled to each mug before putting in the soup. Add some crumbed bacon to the top when served too.
•• Always keep the bacon separate. You can freeze the crispy bacon when freezing excess soup, but keep them separate. Only combine them when dishing up, or the bacon will become soft and fatty, and overpower the taste of the soup.
This recipe makes enough for 7 adults. I freeze excess for quick dinners when I have NO time to cook.
Instead of toast, I serve this soup with pan fried quesadillas (all grain flour tortillas made like a toasted sandwich in a frying pan. I put cheese and chili between my tortillas, and in hubby's I put cheese and bacon).