Roasted Cauliflower and Mushroom Soup

It’s that time of the year when there is nothing more soothing than a steaming bowl of homemade soup. This one is pretty special - a combination of two of my favourite inclusions into a vegetable-based soup - cauliflower and mushrooms. It’s creamy, cheesy and incredibly comforting. It’s a particularly good option for me at the moment as I trying to eat largely low-oxalate based foods, so it ticks that box too.

I am lucky enough to be able to eat dairy, and I’m a big fan of adding milk and cheese to soups as this considerably increases the protein content and makes it into more of a balanced meal. In this recipe I have added collagen too, but that’s optional (I know we don’t all have that lying around in our cupboards). Using homemade chicken stock is another great way of increasing the protein content of this dish, and keeping you fuller for longer. If you don’t eat dairy, you can sub the milk and butter for a non-dairy alternative, and the cheese doesn’t need to be added at all. However, I would recommend having some extra protein alongside this e.g. eggs or adding quinoa or edamame to the soup.

SERVES: 6 portions

TOTAL COOKING TIME: 1 hour

SEASON: Autumn/Winter

INGREDIENTS:

1 large cauliflower and its leaves

1 white onion

200g mushrooms (I used a mix of chestnut, oyster and shitake)

3 cloves garlic

6 sprigs fresh thyme (about 3g)

1/2 pint whole milk (ideally unhomogenised, organic)

50g nutritional yeast

2 pinches of salt

Black pepper

400ml stock of your choice (I use homemade chicken stock)

400ml water

Ghee and butter for cooking

Optional: Powdered collagen if you have it (3 large spoonfuls)

Optional: 50g blue cheese (I used organic Stilton)

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C, add a dollop of ghee or avocado oil to a ceramic baking dish and place in the oven to heat the fat.

2. Cut the head of cauliflower into florets (and the stalk into chunks) and wash thoroughly. Put the leaves to one side and add the chopped cauliflower into the heated baking dish then return it to the oven to cook for about 30-40 minutes.

3. Once the cauliflower is nearly cooked, place a large soup pot on the hob on a low heat and heat a knob of butter in it.

4. Chop the onion and add to the pot and while it is gently cooking, chop the mushrooms and garlic and add to the pot, stirring together well.

5. Remove the thyme leaves from the stalks and add to the pot.

6. Once the onions and mushrooms are cooked through, add the milk, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper and stir together, then remove the cauliflower from the oven and add to the pot, along with the cauliflower leaves.

7. Add the stock, powdered collagen and blue cheese (both optional) and cook for another 5 minutes before taking off the heat.

8. Use an immersion blender to blitz the soup until you end up with a smooth, thick texture (or transfer to a standalone blender).

9. Add in additional water until you get your desired consistency (I used about 400ml) then serve.

10. The soup can be frozen or should keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.