Pigeon Cottage Kitchen

As sad as it is to say goodbye to summer, I do enjoy saying hello to comforting autumn dishes. Making a fresh batch of soup for lunch or supper on a chilly day totally fits the bill right now! I get through quite a lot of Parmesan cheese so I save the rinds up to flavour soups and stocks for risottos. This is the perfect recipe for adding that savoury depth of cheese flavour to this deliciously creamy cauliflower and leek soup.

You can find more great soup recipes here.

Ingredients

• 2 or 3 Parmesan rinds
• 3 tbsps grated Parmesan plus extra for topping
• 40g unsalted butter
• 1 medium cauliflower broken into small florets
• 1 large leek, chopped and finely sliced
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1.5 litres of light chicken stock
• 2 tbsps double cream
• Salt, white and black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil to drizzle

To make…

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan with a dash of olive oil to prevent it burning. Fold in the leek and onion and sweat it down over a low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes. Once it’s soft but not coloured, add the cauliflower pieces. Stir and sweat for another 5 minutes.
• Pour in the stock and add the cheese rinds. Bring to a simmer and then turn down the heat to low for about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to stand for an hour to allow the flavours to fully develop.
• Remove the cheese rinds, scraping any soft parts back into the soup.
• Using a hand held blender, blitz the soup for a few minutes so that the body of the soup looks creamy but there is still some texture and small chunks of cauliflower and leek left. Stir in a little more water if it seems too thick.
• Stir in the grated Parmesan and the cream. Season with a pinch or two of salt and white pepper, tasting as you go.
• When you’re ready to serve, gently reheat the soup. Top each bowl with a grating of Parmesan, some cracked black pepper and extra-virgin olive oil. Serve with some crusty bread and butter on the side.

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