Roasted Cauliflower Soup

I've mentioned it before, but four of us girls who went to highschool togther have all ended up with Matts. Strange? Definately. Confusing? Even more so!


We went over to the Wairarapa for one of the girls' birthdays recently. Unfortunately, that weekend happened to coincide with the attack of a certain weatherbomb, so the vineyards on bikes tour was resentfully cancelled. But we spent a weekend eating and drinking next to the fireplace (no complaints on that front!).


However, with three of the four Matts there, and the influence of red wine, determining which "Matt" a person was talking about was all too confusing.


The fourth of the Matts has just moved down to Wellington, into a flat just 60m away from our place. His partner Lucy (one of the girls I went to highschool with) is finishing her thesis in something far too intelligent for me to understand, and isn't moving down for another month or so.

So the Matts and I headed out on Friday night to see some friends play a gig. Walking down Cuba St, it was a bit surprising when Matt bumps into a friend - being new in town, I wasn't expecting his social standing to have surpassed mine just yet! And it's not just anyone he bumps into, but Delaney from Heartbreak Pie. Swoon!


Turns out Matt (who has just started working at Haight Ashbury) cut her hair last week. When hairing (see what I did there - puntastic!) that she writes a food blog, he yarned about my humble abode, which she checked out! Double swoon! I was a little star struck with Delaney, who does a regular food piece on Good Morning, complimenting me on my food blog!

Now this Matt in particular is a rather social creature. And so many a dinner has been organised between our houses in the last few weeks since he moved. This cauliflower soup is one in particular, which I made particularly because it's one of the many vegetables he claims to loathe.

Determined to convert him to my favourite, I roasted the cauliflower, pureed it down into soup form, and told him it was roasted potato soup. Only when he was half way through the bowl, proclaiming his culinary allegiance to me, did I break the news.


The best thing about cauliflower soup is how creamy and luscious the soup is, without even a drop of cream. This soup tastes so good, you'd swear it was terrible for your health. But this is an impressively healthy option for a wintry night. I dropped the health factor a little with earthy goats cheese crumbled over the top for flavour contrast, and crunchy croutons for texture. Delicious!

Roasted Cauliflower Soup (serves 4-6)

1 large head of cauliflower, broken down into florets. Chop the stalk into similar sized pieces, and use these too

1 bulb of garlic, whole

2T oil

2 large onions, roughly chopped

1T ground cumin

1T cumin seeds

3 bay leaves

1l Chicken or Vege stock (when I don't have time to make my own, I use Campbells Real Stock)

Croutons and goat's cheese to serve (optional)

Start by tossing the cauliflower florets in the oil. Cut the very top off the bulb of garlic, and drizzle with oil too. Season everything generously with salt and pepper, and pop into a 180'C oven for 20-25 mins until they brown on the edges and smell awesome. Pull out of the oven and let it all cool slightly. If the cauliflower looks done but the garlic isn't yet soft inside, pull out the cauliflower, but let the garlic roast for a little longer, until soft.


Sautee for a couple of minutes before adding the stock. Bring everything to the boil, then simmer for 15-20 mins, or as long as you can stand waiting.

Puree the soup using a blender, stick blender, or food processor. If you need to, thin it out with a little more stock or water. Taste and adjust the seasoning. 

Serve with crispy croutons and goat's cheese crumbled over the top.