Roasted cauliflower and garlic soup

by Ed Halmagyi

Ingredients

  • 1 whole cauliflower, chopped
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • salt flakes and freshly-milled black pepper
  • 2 heads garlic
  • ¼ bunch thyme
  • 1 white onion, chopped
  • ½ leek chopped
  • 1 head baby fennel chopped
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1L chicken stock
  • 200ml cream
  • grated parmesan and chopped parsley, to serve

Instructions

1 Preheat oven to 200°C. Toss the cauliflower pieces in half the oil, garlic and thyme. Season with salt and pepper then bake for 40 minutes, until golden.
2 Sauté the onion, leek, fennel and fennel seeds in the remaining olive oil for 10 minutes over a low heat until softened. Add the cauliflower, squeezed garlic, wine and stock then simmer for 30 minutes. Purée with a stick blender, season with salt and pepper, then add the cream. Serve with parmesan and parsley.