Creamy Cauliflower Soup With Cheesy Garlic Loaf - cooking recipe

Ingredients

50 g butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 None onion, chopped
2 None shallots, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled
700 g cauliflower, finely chopped
125 ml good-quality chicken or vegetable stock
125 ml single cream, plus extra, to serve
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper or chilli powder (optional)
60 g Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated
None None squeeze of lemon juice
None None chopped fresh chives, for garnish
None None FOR THE CHEESY GARLIC LOAF
50 g butter, softened
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 None good-quality loaf of bread, cut partway through into 2.5cm slices
None None handful grated Parmesan or Cheddar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 200\u00b0C/180\u00b0C fan/gas 6. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
To make the soup, heat butter and oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add onion, shallots, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 mins, or until softened.
Add cauliflower and stock. Cover and simmer for 15-20 mins, until cauliflower is softened. Add cream, nutmeg, pepper and cayenne (if using). Simmer for 5 mins. Stir in cheese and heat until melted. Add lemon juice to taste and season with salt.
To make the cheesy garlic loaf, combine butter, garlic, parsley and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Evenly spread mixture on the cut edges of the bread. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 5-10 mins, until the cheese has melted and the bread is just crusty.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls, scatter with chives and add a splash of extra cream. Serve with cheesy garlic loaf.