Cauliflower soup

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

4 celery ribs, finely chopped

2 bay leaves

1½lb (675g) potatoes, cut into bite-sized cubes

15 cups hot vegetable stock

2 heads of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets

drizzle of heavy cream (optional), to serve

Method:

1 Heat the oil in large pan, add the onions, and cook over low heat for 6–8 minutes or until soft. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then add the garlic, celery, and bay leaves and cook for 5 minutes or until the celery begins to soften. Stir in the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, then pour in the stock, bring to a boil, and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are nearly soft.

2 Add the cauliflower and cook for 10 minutes or until it is soft but not watery. Remove the bay leaves and discard, then transfer the soup to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add a little more hot stock if it seems too thick. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

3 Let cool completely, then transfer to a freezerproof container, seal, and freeze for up to 3 months.

4 To serve, defrost in the refrigerator overnight, transfer to a pan, and heat until piping hot. Add the heavy cream, if using, and serve with crusty bread.

Cauliflower soup