creamy curry cauliflower soup

It’s a good idea to have something quick & easy up your sleeve for busy nights or when you just can’t be bothered with much fussing. Let’s face it, all of us feel this way on occasion. As the name implies, Creamy Curry Cauliflower Soup is silky smooth with a hint of spice. Sharp cheddar cheese adds to its lusciousness.

Generally speaking, cauliflower isn’t the first food that springs to mind when using words such as ‘luscious’ or ‘silky’, but in a soup, combined with a little cream, a sharp cheddar & warm curry spices, cauliflower takes on a new persona.

Cauliflower has become the darling veg to the point of being haled as “rice” & being used to make a pizza base. To me it will never be rice nor a pizza crust but it does make a rather splendid creamed soup. It also has nutritional value that you can read about here if you’re interested. A word of warning – don’t eat a big bowl for lunch & head out on a date that evening. Chances are it will make you fart – often & loud. Not really the stuff of romantic evenings.

Preferring blended, creamy soup unadorned, I know many of you enjoy crackers & other such crunchy bits in your bowl of soup. I’ve added some crunchy fried onions to this soup, mainly so it didn’t look like plain Jane when it had its photo taken. Don’t feel it necessary to add anything as garnish. It doesn’t need it. Although buttered toast for dunking is a necessary accompaniment if you’re not sworn off bread for life. I also added some roasted cauliflower – also for looks, again, it’s more for show. You do what makes you happy. No rules.

When I was a child & a young adult, Mum would occasionally make tuna or salmon mornay – sauteed onions, curry powder, canned tuna (or salmon), bechamel sauce & cheese. She’d serve it over rice with fresh greens on the side. Or, if we were feeling fancy, the mornay was served in golden vol-au-vent cases, hot from the oven. Maybe not everyone’s cup of tea but for me those flavors are nostalgic & they do work together – curry & cheese. So this is my little ode to mum & her mornays. Until next time, Lovoni xo

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creamy curry cauliflower soup

Lightly spiced with curry powder, this velvety smooth soup is perfect for chasing away the autumn chills. Serve it with crispy fried onions, buttered toast or on its own. For the tastiest results, use a good quality curry powder. I used a madras curry powder so it had a little heat. The heat index is up to you.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Australian

Keyword: cauliflower soup

Servings: 6

Author: Lovoni Walker

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon curry powder I used madras
• 1 large-ish cauliflower, trimmed & chopped, plus extra for roasted garnish*
• 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth (1L)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 cups grated white cheddar cheese plus extra for garnish
• 1 cup heavy cream
• yogurt & fried onions for garnish optional

Instructions

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion & garlic & cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened.
• Add the curry powder & cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
• Add cauliflower, broth, salt & pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, covered, for 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is softened; remove the pan from the heat.
• Add cheese & cream; stir to combine. Ladle the mixture into a blender in batches; blitz until very smooth. Pour the soup back into the same pan & stir over medium heat until hot.
• Ladle the soup into heated bowls. Add a dollop of yogurt, fried onions, roasted cauliflower & grated cheese to each serving or serve just as-is. Makes about 1 1/2 quarts (l 1/2 L).

Notes

*To roast the cauliflower, reserve a couple of small pieces of cauliflower & cut into tiny florets. Roast in a 400F (200C) oven for 15 minutes or until browned. 

Slow cooker chicken broth for perfect, homemade broth. Be sure to check out other soups & warming recipes here.