Monthly Mingle: Cauliflower Soup with Cheese and Bacon Toast
This is my contribution to this month's Monthly Mingle-Soups organized by Harini of Tongueticklers.
I like Monthly Mingle and have not missed one ever since I participated. As I've said, it keeps me disciplined and occupied and gave me something to look forward to.
This month's mingle is all about soups, a comfort food that tops the list as always. I wanted to do a chilled strawberry soup but I don't think it sounds comforting enough since soup always reminds me of winter and I wanted to make something warm and also vegan at the same time.
A simple flip through my recipe collection and I found cauliflower soup. The recipe has an accompaniment of cheese and bacon toast alongside, which I believe with simple modifications could still be vegan.
The soup itself is rich, simple and very much cauliflower soup. Using just water and vegetable stock, the cauliflower flavours shine through well. And I overdo the onion and garlic a little but it doesn't matter because the sauteed aftertaste was dominant in the soup too!
Cauliflower Soup with Cheese and Bacon Toasts
(adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly-Weeknight Favourites Edition)
Prep and cook time: 40 mins
serves 6
Cauliflower Soup
1 tbsp EVOO
1 medium (150g) brown onion, chopped, chopped coarsely
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large (300g) potato, chopped finely
1kg cauliflower, trimmed, chopped
3 cups (750ml) salt reduced vegetable stock
3 cups (750ml) water
salt and freshly grounded black pepper
2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh chives
Heat EVOO in a large saucepan; cook the onion and garlic, stirring until soft but not coloured. Add the potato, cauliflower, stock and water; bring to the boil, then simmer, covered for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft. Blend or process cauliflower mixture until smooth. Return the soup to the pan and stir gently over low heat until hot. Season with salt and pepper.
Cheese and Bacon Toast
(Optional but adds in depth flavour to soup when eaten alongside)
3 thin bacon rashers, quartered (Use mock bacon for vegan/vegetarian)
1 thin crusty Italian loaf (Make sure it is eggless for vegan/ vegetarian)
1 tbsp seeded mustard or Dijon Mustard spread would do fine
120g thinly sliced tasty cheese (Use vegan cheese for vegan/vegetarian)
Place the bacon on a foil-covered tray; grill the bacon until browned and crisp. Slice the bread diagonally into 12 thin soldiers. Grill the bread slices until browned lightly, spread with mustard, top with cheese. Grill until cheese melts, top with bacon right away. Sprinkle with freshly grinded black pepper, if desired.
Serve
To serve, ladle spoonfuls of soup into a serving bowl. Sprinkle with chives and serve bacon toast alongside.
Soup suitable to freeze and microwave. The soup can be made two days ahead but the bacon toasts are best made close to serving.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
1 comments:
Hey, thanks for the wonderful soup! I just missed your entry, I guess! Sorry. I am adding this asap!
Post a Comment