In this cauliflower cheese soup, cauliflower and garlic are roasted before being combined with potato, chicken stock, herbs and The Laughing Cow light creamy spreadable cheese for a lighter winter warmer without compromising on flavour.
This recipe post has been sponsored by The Laughing Cow. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are our own.
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A winter warmer
This time of year I’m all about the soups and stews. Hearty, warming comfort food that sooth the soul while the winter gales lash at the windows.
I’m also wanting something a bit lighter after the heaviness of festive food. I want to add more vegetables to my diet, I crave healthier food choices and I want proper stick-to-the-ribs comfort food.
Introducing… roasted cauliflower cheese soup!
Ok, I realise roasting cauliflower and whizzing it up into a delicious warming soup with some cheese is nothing new, but have you ever thought about using a few light cheese triangles from The Laughing Cow as the cheese?
You don’t need many of the individually wrapped portions from The Laughing Cow to impart that cheesy soup flavour that we all love.
Why not also spread some on a slice of bread or toast to serve on the side?
The Laughing Cow
The Laughing Cow was born in France in 1921. Leon and Jules Bel founded the company, developing the first cheese spread to be individually served in foil-sealed portions.
Containing no artificial preservatives or flavours, each pack comes with 8 handy foil-wrapped individual triangles
Look, Smell, Taste, Don’t Waste Campaign
Did you know that The Laughing Cow spreadable cheese now has a Best Before date on it (not a Use By date), meaning that if that date has been passed but the cheese looks and smells just fine, it’s still safe to eat and is perfect for any occasion, including recipes like this roasted cauliflower cheese soup.
How to roast cauliflower, and why you want to
Roasting cauliflower transforms an ordinary vegetable into something extraordinary. The edges of the vegetable caramelise, bringing out all the nutty, buttery flavours.
To roast cauliflower, cut the vegetable up into small florets place them into a bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil and gently mix to coat the cauliflower. Arrange the florets on a single layer on a baking tray and bake in the centre of a hot 200 C/ 180 C fan oven for 20-25 minutes, turning once.
For this recipe though, you want to remove the cauliflower from the oven a little earlier than you would if you were serving roasted cauliflower as a side dish. You don’t want the cauliflower too dark as it will affect the colour of your finished soup.
Reserve a few of the smaller cauliflower florets, and any tiny crispy bits of cauliflower on your baking tray, to use as a garnish for your soup when serving.
You’ll need…
- Cauliflower: this low carb vegetable will form the bulk of this creamy soup. Look for a cauliflower weighing around 700 grams in size.
- Garlic – (optional) use as much or as little as you like. I love garlic, so I’ve used a whole bulb in this recipe.
- Olive oil – just a smidge, for roasting the caulifower and garlic.
- Potato – just one. This helps thicken up the soup and gives it a creamier, stick-to-the-ribs winter soup texture.
- Fresh thyme – for flavour. Substitute with a teaspoonful of dried thyme if needed.
- Bay leaves – for flavour. Use fresh if you’ve got them, but dried works too.
- Chicken stock – homemade or from a stock pot or cube, it’s up to you.
- The Laughing Cow Light Cheese – use as much or as little as you’d like. With less than 26 calories per portion-controlled triangle they’ll keep this soup tasty and light, without compromising on flavour.
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste.
How to make it…
- Cut your cauliflower into florets and place them in a bowl along with the unpeeled garlic cloves (see tips, below). Drizzle in olive oil and gently toss to coat the vegetables.
- Place the vegetables in a single layer on a baking tray and roast in a 200 C/ 180 C fan oven for 20 minutes, turning once.
- Place the roasted cauliflower into a soup pot, squeeze in the cooled garlic and add the potato and fresh herbs.
- Add the chicken stock and simmer gently for 15 minutes, until the potato is cooked.
- Puree using a handblender.
- Add 3-4 light cheese triangles from The Laughing Cow and season well to taste.
Tips for making this cauliflower soup recipe
- Leaving the garlic skins when you roast the cauliflower and garlic on means that the garlic will roast in their skins until tender without browning or caramelising. Leave them to cool slightly before squeezing out their deliciously sweet and fragrant contents into your soup pot.
- Reserve a few of the smaller, prettiest roasted cauliflower florets to use as a soup garnish.
- Serve your soup in warmed bowls with a slice of bread or toast spread with light spreadable cheese from The Laughing Cow.
Try The Laughing Cow Light/Lightest x 8 (135 grams) for 50% off with the Shopmium Cashback Campaign
Have you heard of Shopmium? It’s a free app that enables you to access exclusive offers on everyday brands found in the supermarket – like trying The Laughing Cow Light/Lightest x 8 (135 grams) for just 50% off!
As a user, you simply buy the featured product from your nearest store, take a picture of your receipt and get cashback paid directly into your PayPal or bank account!
How do you serve your spreadable cheese from The Laughing Cow? Let me know in the comments!
Lighter Roasted Cauliflower Cheese Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower
- 1 bulb garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp Shetland sea salt
- 200 grams potatoes
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 litre chicken stock
- 4 triangles The Laughing Cow Light Spreadable Cheese
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
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Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200 °C/ 180 °C fan and chop your cauliflower into small florets.
- Place the cauliflower in a bowl along with the unpeeled garlic cloves and drizzle with olive oil.
- Arrange in a single layer on a baking tray, sprinkle with sea salt and roast in the centre of the oven for 20 minutes, turning once.
- Add the roasted cauliflower to a soup pot. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of their skins and add to the pot along with the potato and fresh herbs.
- Add the chicken stock and bring the pot to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Blend the soup with a hand blender until smooth.
- Stir in light spreadable cheese triangles from The Laughing Cow.
- Serve with a few roasted cauliflower florets as a garnish.
Nutrition
Environmental Information
This is a sponsored recipe post written in collaboration with The Laughing Cow, although all thoughts and opinions expressed are our own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make it possible for me to do what I love: mess up my kitchen and share recipe stories.
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