Creamy cauliflower soup with crumbled blue cheese and thyme

Tam West

Ingredients

2 rashers	Rindless bacon, roughly chopped
1	Onion, finely chopped
½ large	Cauliflower, cut into florets (Main)
4 cups	Chicken stock, good quality, use more if needed (Main)
25 g	Butter
2 Tbsp	Flour, a scant measure
½ cup	Full cream milk, warmed
60 g	Blue cheese (Main)
1 small handful	Thyme leaves, to sprinkle (Main)
1 dash	Olive oil, for drizzling

Directions

1. Place the bacon in a large heavy-based saucepan over low heat and cook allowing the bacon fat to render a little. Add the onion and cook until the onion is soft, stirring from time to time.
2. Add the cauliflower and chicken stock. Simmer until the cauliflower is tender. Season and allow to cool a little.
3. Meanwhile, prepare a simple sauce to thicken the soup. Melt the butter in a small heavy-based saucepan. Add the flour and stir well. Cook the roux until a straw colour, then stir in the warmed milk. Stir until the mixture thickens — it should be very thick.
4. Ladle the slightly cooled cauliflower and stock mixture into a blender and blend. Add the sauce, blend then check your seasoning and consistency. If the soup is too thick, let down with extra stock or extra milk.
5. Return the cauliflower soup to the rinsed out saucepan and gently reheat. Serve in warmed soup bowls. Crumble blue cheese on top of each and sprinkle with thyme leaves. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Serve with toasted sourdough bread.