Cauliflower Soup

With a preparation time of just five minutes and a cooking time of 25 minutes, this in-season cauliflower soup recipe by author, food writer and cook, Anna Barnett is full of flavour with the addition of crispy curry leaves and a curry oil. Cooking the cauliflower in a Miele Steam Combination Oven ensures a soft and tender centre while also achieving a flavoursome crunch.

Method

1. Cut the cauliflower into quarters, rub over the ground cumin and place on a tray. Using the combi function on a Miele Steam Combination Oven opt for 200 degrees conventional heat with 80% humidity and cook for around 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft. The combi function allows for roasting and steaming at the same time. The centre of the cauliflower will become soft and tender whilst the outside will get a lovely crunch.

2. Heat a generous knob of butter in a large saucepan or casserole dish. Add your onions, garlic and bay leaf and cook over a medium to low heat until they’re soft and translucent, around 7-9 minutes. Next heat your stock.

3. Once the cauliflower is cooked add this to the pan with your onions and garlic (remove the bay leaf) and add the stock. Blitz until smooth then add in the cream, finish by adjusting the seasoning to your preference. I like to add a lot of white pepper for a little heat here.

4. For the crostini, char or toast the sourdough then take half a clove of garlic and lightly rub across each slice. Drizzle with a little EVOO and top with grated Comté.

5. For the crispy curry leaves and curry oil simply heat oil in a shallow pan. Once hot add in your curry leaves, they should fizz and spit a little immediately. Allow to turn crisp, 15-20 seconds will do the job. Be careful to not overcook or allow them to turn brown. Remove from the heat and scatter over the crostini and soup. Finish with a drizzle of curry oil and serve.