Recipe and image by Emma Galloway
This soup may look super simple (and it is very easy to make!), but the flavour is deep and rich thanks to the extra step of roasting the cauliflower. The walnut brown butter brings a little acidity and nuttiness.
Serves 4–6
1 large cauliflower, cut into florets
extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 litre vegetable stock, plus extra if needed
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
½ cup cream
Walnut Brown Butter
3 tbsp butter
2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme), plus extra to serve
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp walnuts, finely chopped
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line two oven trays with baking paper.
Place cauliflower florets (peel the stalk and chop that up too) onto prepared trays, drizzle with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast 25–30 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking, until tender and golden. Remove from oven.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add onion and cook 2–3 minutes, whilst stirring, until tender. Add garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds before adding the vegetable stock and potato. Bring to a simmer and cook 5–8 minutes or until the potato is tender. Reserve a handful of the roasted cauliflower for topping, then add the rest to the saucepan. Add cream and then, using a stick blender, blend until smooth, adding a little extra vegetable stock or water to reach desired consistency. Alternatively, transfer everything to a blender and blend on high until smooth, before returning to the saucepan to reheat. Season to taste with salt and pepper and leave saucepan over low heat to keep soup warm.
For the brown butter, in a small saucepan, melt butter until sizzling. Keep a close eye on it and as soon as you see the milk solids starting to brown on the bottom of the pan, remove from heat and immediately add thyme, lemon juice and chopped walnuts. Stir well.
Serve soup topped with reserved roasted cauliflower and drizzled with walnut brown butter. Scatter with extra thyme leaves, if you like.