Wholesome Cook
5 Ingredients or less

Cauliflower and port soup with blue cheese toast

(As Featured in Jul.2014 Nourish Magazine)

 

I wasn’t going to make any more blended soups for a while but they are just so easy and quickto make, and perfect for this sort of weather.

This time, my cauliflower soup got a grown-up face lift.

Everyone knows port is the best match for salty blue cheese, right? The soup is spiked with a good amount of 20 year old port and served with fire-toasted blue cheese toasts. Heavenly.

The soup freezes well, too so it can be made in advance and enjoyed another day.

Serves 4

Cauliflower and port soup with blue cheese toast

You can fire toast bread over a barbecue, or if you have a gas stove simply hold slices close to the flame using metal tongs until the bread is lightly charred around the edges.

Soup

  • 750g cauliflower
  • 1 small brown onion
  • 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 4 tbsp Port
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Toasts

  • Blue cheese
  • Sourdough bread or roll, sliced

To make soup: dice onion and cut cauliflower into small florets. Heat olive oil in a stock pot and cook onion on medium heat, stirring, until softened. Add cauliflower, stock and port. Simmer for 20-30 minutes or until cauliflower is soft. Blend with a stick blender.

To make toasts: fire toast bread over a barbecue, or if you have a gas stove simply hold slices close to the flame using metal tongs until the bread is lightly charred around the edges. Place a little blue cheese on each slice and place under a warm grill for a couple of minutes for the cheese to start melting.

To serve: divide soup between serving bowls and serve with a side of blue cheese toasts and a glass of port or madeira.

22 comments

Mel June 30, 2011 at 10:23 am

mmmm looks yummy for a warm winters night. If we don’t have port on hand, what could be used as a substitute?

Reply
Wholesome Cook June 30, 2011 at 10:46 am

Hi Mel, a good substitute would be brandy, sherry or madeira. Alternatively you could use a red wine – shiraz is probably the best. Mix 1/2 cup shiraz with some chopped up prunes and mudlde them into the mix to achieve the sweetness and smokiness similar to that of port. Allow to stand for 10 minutes to infuse. Just make sure to strain the wine mixture before use in the soup.

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MissPiggy June 30, 2011 at 12:00 pm

OMG, how easy and delicious does that soup look (rhetorical question, no need to answer)! I might give this a go, sans the port as we don’t have any, but will add a splosh of red wine.

Reply
Wholesome Cook June 30, 2011 at 2:04 pm

Cherry liqueur would also work… It’s so yum! And simple to make – I love the fire-toasted bread! Enjoy!

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Sara @ Belly Rumbles June 30, 2011 at 1:10 pm

That looks so perfect for sitting in front of the fire on a cold winter’s night. Will have to try, the addition of port has me very curious, never thought of it with cauli before.

Reply
Chanel June 30, 2011 at 1:41 pm

Oh wow… cauliflower, port, blue cheese, red wine, toast… YUM! I really want to try this :D

Reply
Wholesome Cook June 30, 2011 at 2:02 pm

All the good things aren’t they? Enjoy!

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changingmoods June 30, 2011 at 3:03 pm

Anything with blue cheese rules in my book.

Reply
Wholesome Cook June 30, 2011 at 8:09 pm

I’m only starting to get back to liking blue cheese again, have had a long break. But I am glad it rocks your world!

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muppy June 30, 2011 at 3:07 pm

I love yourblue cheese toasts but cauliflower is one of those things I just can’t like!

Reply
Wholesome Cook June 30, 2011 at 8:08 pm

Really? Well the toasts are very moreish on their own too!

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Laura (starloz) June 30, 2011 at 5:11 pm

marty, this looks delicious. i just love you ‘set’ too, it’s brilliant.

Reply
Wholesome Cook June 30, 2011 at 8:06 pm

Thanks Laura, I didn’t like the set too much this time, but the soup had been eaten and these are the only pictures I had. Everyone seems to like them though!

Reply
Dressed and Eaten June 30, 2011 at 5:59 pm

Lover of port here. That looks great. Definitely have to try this. Love how creamy the soup looks without any cream in it.

Reply
Wholesome Cook June 30, 2011 at 8:07 pm

That’s the beauty of it – pure vegetable goodness that makes it nice and “creamy”. And yes, I’m with you on the port – love! Have you tried port-soaked prunes? Divine!

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Maureen June 30, 2011 at 6:09 pm

This looks yummy! Your photos are so good!

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Wholesome Cook June 30, 2011 at 8:06 pm

Thanks Maureen!

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lateraleating June 30, 2011 at 8:20 pm

Now I know what to do with that port that’s sitting in my fridge :)

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Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide July 1, 2011 at 3:51 am

My wife hates cauliflower. She doesn’t have to know, right? This looks amazing. Amazing!

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Sherilyn @ Wholepromise July 1, 2011 at 7:54 pm

Blue cheese – my husband hates it but i love it. I can only imagine how beautiful this soup must be. So yummy as per usual.

Reply
Wholesome Cook July 1, 2011 at 8:16 pm

Thank Sherilyn, to be honest I can only have blue cheese in moderation. I find the blue vein flavour too strong sometimes. The combination of the soup and cheese makes for a perfect flavour balance for me. Perhaps he could try it out this way…

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Heidi - Apples Under My Bed July 3, 2011 at 9:46 pm

Love the cauliflower soup, but I especially love the blue cheese toast! perfect together, hey :)
Heidi xo

Reply

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