- 1 onion
- 1 cauliflower
- 1 garlic clove
- 400g tin butter beans
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- A handful of flat leaf parsley
- 1 tbsp thyme oil
- ½ x 227ml single cream
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 700ml boiling water
- Large pan with lid
- Measuring jug
- Hand-held blender or blender
- 1.
Peel and finely chop the onion. Pull any tatty leaves off the cauliflower and discard them. Remove any remaining leaves and finely chop them. Warm a large pan on a medium heat for 1 min then add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the chopped onion and cauliflower leaves with a good pinch of salt. Fry for 8 mins, stirring occasionally, till softened and lightly coloured.
- 2.
While the onion is cooking, fill and boil the kettle. Peel and grate or crush the garlic. Chop the cauliflower into small pieces.
- 3.
When the onion has cooked for 8 mins, add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 min. Add the cauliflower and tip in butter beans along with the liquid from their tin. Pour in 700ml hot water from the kettle and crumble in the stock cube. Let the soup come to a bubble then simmer, lid on, for 15 mins.
- 4.
While the soup is simmering, finely chop the parsley stalks and leaves.
- 5.
After 15 mins, the cauliflower should be tender. Add half the parsley and half the pot of single cream (save 2 tbsp for serving). Using a stick blender, blitz the soup in the pan till smooth and creamy. Or ladle the soup, in batches, into a blender and blitz. Taste and add more salt or pepper if you think it needs it.
- 6.
Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Drizzle over the thyme oil and 1 tbsp single cream each. Garish with the remaining chopped parsley to serve.
- Tip
Eat Me, Keep Me
This soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months. Add all the parsley, cream and thyme oil to the soup before blending then divide it into portions, cool completely and chill or freeze. Defrost overnight and reheat till piping hot.