- 1 onion
- 1 cauliflower
- 1 large potato
- 1 garlic clove
- 500ml skimmed milk
- A handful of thyme, leaves only
- 100g cheddar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 200ml boiling water
- Large pan with a lid
- Vegetable peeler
- Measuring jug
- Hand-held blender or blender
- 1.
Peel and finely chop the onion. Cut the leaves off the cauliflower and finely chop them.
- 2.
Warm a large pan on a medium-low heat for 2 mins then pour in ½ tbsp olive oil. Add the onion and cauliflower leaves and fry for 6-8 mins, stirring every now and then, till softened and lightly coloured.
- 3.
While the veg cook, peel and chop the potato. Chop the cauliflower florets and stalk into small pieces. Peel and crush the garlic. Fill your kettle and boil it.
- 4.
Add the garlic to the pan with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 1 min, stirring. Stir in the potato and cauliflower. Pour in the milk and 200ml boiling water. Drop in 1 thyme sprig. Cover, then simmer for 20 mins till the veg are soft.
- 5.
While the soup simmers, grate the cheddar. Pick the leaves from the remaining thyme sprigs – if you push the sprigs through a mesh sieve, the leaves will collect in the sieve.
- 6.
Remove the thyme sprig from the soup. Blend the soup in the pan with a hand-held blender, till it’s smooth and creamy, or ladle into a blender to blitz. Add a little more hot water if you prefer a thinner consistency. Stir in half the cheddar and 1 tbsp Dijon mustard. Taste and add more salt or pepper if you think it needs it.
- 7.
Ladle the soup into a couple of warm bowls. Top with the remaining cheddar and the thyme leaves to serve.
- Tip
Eat & Keep
The soup will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge, or you can freeze it for a couple of months. Ladle into tubs, cool, then top with the extra cheese and thyme, then chill or freeze. Defrost overnight and make sure it is piping hot all the way through when you reheat it.