Cauliflower and Crispy Chorizo Soup

Cauliflower and Crispy Chorizo Soup

I’m going through a bit of a phase at the moment where meals at night are being replaced by thick, nourishing and hearty soups. I’m still thinking about my overindulgence at Christmas and having done some damage to my knee, my exercise is very limited at the moment! This soup ticks all the right boxes in terms of flavour, nourishment and volume. It is based on an Olive magazine recipe I saw a few years ago but I have stripped out the cream to make a more health conscious meal. January is soup month after all so I’m trying different ways of enjoying a bowl of steaming hot goodness.

The flavor of steamed cauliflower can be a touch bland, however, season and add a touch of olive oil and sauté or roast the white florets and they become a pleasure to the taste buds. Add to this the salty and crisp paprika infused chorizo and you have a treat of an evening meal.

Print Cauliflower and Crispy Chorizo Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Serving Size: Serves 4 for Lunch or Dinner

A healthy and hearty soup using a classic Winter vegetable; the cauliflower.

Ingredients

• 1 large cauliflower
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 medium potatoes , peeled and chopped
• 500ml of low fat milk
• 500ml of vegetable stock
• 4 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 tbsp of water
• 20 slices of chorizo
• Salt and pepper (white) to season.

Instructions

1. Carve out some small florets (3-4 per serving) from the cauliflower and set aside. With the remaining cauliflower, (all stalk and some florets) chop into smaller pieces.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large pan, add the chopped onion and fry until soft, but not brown.
3. Add the cauliflower, potatoes, milk and stock.
4. Season and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and gently simmer for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
5. Use a ladel to transfer the soup into a blender and blend until a purée is achieved. Because of the volumes involved, you will have to do this more that once.
6. Return the soup to the pan and heat gently. I added more seasoning at this point too.
7. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of oil in a pan, add the cauliflower florets and some salt and fry until brown and starting to soften.
8. Add the water, cover and cook for a further 2 minutes until just tender.
9. Tip the cauliflower into a separate dish.
10. Add the sliced chorizo to the pan and dry fry quickly on each side until crisp. Use some kitchen paper to absorb the oil running from the chorizo.
11. Serve the soup in bowls with a small pile of crisp cauliflower in the centre, topped with a few slices of crisp chorizo.

Notes

The portions here are quite generous for 4 dishes as I've intended them to be quite filling but you could comfortably serve 6 smaller portions. You could also try grilling the chorizo slices instead of frying them if this saves time and washing up!

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What soups have you been making to keep the cold at bay? Please tell me in the comments below!

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