Roasted garlic cauliflower soup

(serves 6)

Recently we went to Flemington markets again, which is always so much fun because there is so much amazing produce there!! I forget how excited i get by, well, just vegetables :P This time in particular we found this amazing 2kg cauliflower! I only used half of it for soup but it was super yummy! This time I made a variation of the previous cauliflower by roasting it in garlic and parsley first which gave it a subtle garlic flavour. The breadcrumb and almond topping also adds a great crunch! Perfect for a cold winter day!

Prep time: 45 min
Cooking time: 45 min

Ingredients
12 cloves garlic
10 g parsley + 5 g finely chopped (to serve)
1/2 C olive oil
1 head of cauliflower (1 kg)
1 onion
1 leek
20 g butter
800 mL chicken or vegetable stock
500 mL boiling water
300 mL cream

Breadcrumb topping
3 slices wholegrain bread
handful of almonds
3 cloves garlic
herb and garlic salt

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Process the garlic and parsley in a food processor. Add in the olive oil and blend until you create a paste.

3. Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and the garlic and parsley paste. Roast for 40 minutes until lightly golden, tossing occasionally.

4. Dice the onion and leek. Heat a large pot with butter, then add in the onion and leek and saute for 3 minutes until soft. Add in the chicken stock and boiling water, then add in the cauliflower and heat for 30 minutes until the cauliflower is soft. Cool.
5. Meanwhile, in a small food processor, place the bread, almonds, garlic and seasoning. Process until it becomes a fine breadcrumb-like texture. Toss lightly with olive oil, then place spread out on a tray in the oven for 5-10 minutes until crunchy.

6. Food process the cauliflower mixture until smooth, then add it back into the pot. Add the cream, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Serve warm, with a generous sprinkle of top of breadcrumb topping and parsley.