As part of my focus to reduce my calorie intake in the next couple of weeks, I made my delicious cauliflower soup on Monday. Also the weather has been rainy and cool in Johannesburg, so this went down really great.

Cauliflower is an absolutely versatile vegetable to have in your pantry. It can morph into a side dish of rice, mash, a sauce for your mac and cheese, and if you’re really creative - a pizza. However I don’t enjoy cauliflower pizza.

It’s also really low in calories and contains no fat. What it does pack is a mean dose of vitamins and fiber. Cauliflower is also high in antioxidants.

Ingredients for 4 portions

600 g cauliflower florets (Two Woolies bags or two medium sized cauliflowers)

Vegetable stock (stock cube, or 500 ml liquid)

1/2 cup of milk (optional)

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 tsp oil/butter

Salt and pepper

Any herb of your choice for garnish

Method

1. In a large pot, heat oil and add onions.

2. Fry the onions until they are translucent.

3. Add florets and give them a good stir until they get a bit of color on them.

4. Add water until all your cauliflower is covered. Then add your stock cube. If you’re using vegetable stock, make sure you have enough liquid - add water if you must - to cover your entire broth.

5. Let this boil for 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft.

6. Blend everything until it’s smooth and add salt and pepper to taste. I usually add 1/2 cup of milk to my soup at the end because I want the added protein. But if you’re lactose intolerant, you don’t have to add this.

7. Garnish with herbs.