Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup with Rocket and Walnut Pesto

Well winter has almost arrived and what better way to welcome it than with a hearty, creamy, scrummo soup!  Earthy cauliflower paired with the sharpness of a fine, mature cheddar and topped off with a crunchy rocket and walnut pesto pretty much ticks all the boxes, me thinks!

Serves 6

2 tbs of olive oil
25gm of butter
1 whole cauliflower roughly chopped, stalks and all
2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped (any kind will do)
2 leeks, washed and finely sliced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 litre of salt reduced chicken stock
500ml of water
1 cup of mature cheddar, grated
200ml of light cooking cream
Sea salt and pepper
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

For the Pesto:

100gm of baby rocket leaves
2 sprigs of basil, roughly chopped
1/2 a cup of toasted walnuts*
1/2 a cup of grated parmesan cheese
1/2 a cup of extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper

Heat a large heavy based saucepan. Melt the butter and add the olive oil to prevent the butter from burning before adding the leeks and garlic.  Saute gently until the leeks are nice and soft and the kitchen is smelling amazing.....

Throw in the cauliflower and potatoes and saute for a minute or two before adding the stock and water. The measurements are a rough guide but you want the liquid to just cover the cauliflower.  Pop the lid on, bring to the boil and allow to bubble away at a nice simmer for approximately half an hour or until potatoes are tender.

Remove the soup from the heat and using a hand blender (every kitchen should have one!) or a normal blender, blend the soup until all lumps have disappeared and you have a nice, thick, smooth consistency.  Return to the heat, bring to a low simmer and add the cheddar and cream and season with salt and pepper. Give it a good stir to make sure all the cheese has melted through the soup.  It is a great idea to have a taste here and adjust the seasoning if you think it needs it.

To make the pesto, place all ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor and pulse a couple of times to get started.  Process the mix on low while adding the olive oil until you have a lovely paste.  Have a taste and add more seasoning if necessary.

To plate up, ladle a generous amount of soup into large deep serving bowls, top with a dollop of pesto and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.  Finish off with a nice sprinkle of black pepper and serve with crusty bread.

* Toast the walnuts in a hot dry pan for 3-5 minutes.  Keep them moving as nuts can burn quite quickly.....