Blue Cheese and Cauliflower Chowder

Another title of this post was almost, 'The Best Picture I have possibly ever taken of CHEESE'. You will see why. 

This recipe is one of my long time favourites- I've made it time and time again. Sadly, the giant is not a blue cheese fan so it doesn't get put in to the rotation as often as I would like. I sometimes substitute a nice sharp cheddar but I find you need more cheese than if you used blue and it becomes a little less soupy and more heavy.

However, I had a friend coming to lunch and it seemed like it was just the right time to bake some soda bread and make some favourite soup. Incidentally, I've taken to replacing milk with Buttermilk in the soda recipe- the live cultures react wonderfully with the Bicarbonate of Soda and make for an amazing loaf.

I'm not a slave to quantities when it comes to soup, these are a rough guide

You will need:

1 large cauliflower, chopped into large florets

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 bay leaves

3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 onions, peeled and chopped

1 pint veg stock

1/2 pint milk

150g blue cheese (I like Dolce latte)

1. Put all the ingredients except the cheese into a large pan and simmer gently for about 20 mins or until everything is soft and a bit mushy. 

2. Drain off the liquid BUT KEEP IT IN RESERVE. 

3. Liquidise the solid vegetables, being careful to remove the bay leaves beforehand. Blend to your preferred consistency. 

4. Add this back to the saucepan and return to a low heat. Now add the reserved liquid back to the chowder, a bit at a time, stirring as you go. 

5. Just before serving, add the crumbed blue cheese and stir a little.

And now for the picture.

Ready?

Ta DAAAAAHHHHH!!!!