30 in 30: Cauliflower soup with lemon and parsley breadcrumbs

A tasty meal made for less than Dh30 in under 30 minutes. This week cauliflower soup with lemon and parsley breadcrumbs.

Cauliflower soup with lemon and parsley breadcrumbs. Courtesy Scott Price

Fresh ingredients:

1 head cauliflower (approximately 700g)

1 bunch parsley

1 lemon

Dairy:

500ml milk (whole or semi-skimmed)

Dry ingredients:

1 loaf brown bread

Total cost: Dh25.55

Pour the milk into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Break the cauliflower into small florets and roughly chop. Add the cauliflower to the pan, along with a knob of butter. Season with salt and simmer for 10-12 minutes, until soft.

While the cauliflower is cooking, remove the crusts from four slices of bread and blitz to breadcrumbs in a food processor.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Pick and finely chop two generous handfuls of parsley leaves. Add the breadcrumbs to the pan, season with salt and black pepper and fry for three to four minutes, until they turn golden brown and crispy. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chopped parsley and some freshly grated lemon zest.

When the cauliflower is tender, drain into a sieve suspended over a bowl. Tip the cauliflower into a blender, add half the milk and blend. The idea is that the soup is quite thick (almost like a purée), but you can add more milk if you wish. Taste to check the seasoning.

Divide the soup between two serving bowls and top with a generous amount of crispy breadcrumbs and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve the rest of the bread on the side.

Note: The Dh30 recipe works on the premise that you already have some basic store cupboard or fridge staples - items such as olive and vegetable oil, vinegar, butter and salt and pepper - at your disposal.