I found this recipe in the October 2013 Waitrose Kitchen (for those of you not from the UK, Waitrose is one of the best supermarket chains here). I am always very health conscious and avoid cooking with cream wherever possible, so I was immediately drawn to this recipe. It uses almond milk (unsweetened) rather than milk and is thickened with ground almonds. 

I have to admit, it tastes divine and you would never know that there was no dairy in the recipe. I have put more saffron than it states in the recipe (hence why it's very yellow!) because I love the subtle flavour of saffron. For any of you carnivores, you could substitute the vegetable stock with chicken stock.

I also would add chilli flakes as a condiment as I love a touch of spice. In fact, there are a lot of tweaks you could make to this recipe but fundamentally it's a healthy option if you retain the almond milk and ground almonds. I also love the fact that there's nothing fried.

Why not accompany your soup like I do, with a glass of champagne. Oh, what decadence!

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized cauliflower (chopped into florets)

• 2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)

• 2 pinches of saffron

• ½ litre of vegetable stock

• 250ml of Alpro Almond Unsweetened alternative to milk

• Zest of an unwaxed lemon

• 4 tbsp ground almonds

• Plenty of black pepper

• 1 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Add the cauliflower florets to a saucepan along with a pinch of saffron, garlic and vegetable stock, keeping a couple of tiny florets aside to use as a garnish. Gently simmer for 20 minutes, until the cauliflower has softened.

2. Add the ground almonds, lemon zest and Alpro Almond Unsweetened. Use a blender or liquidiser to blitz until smooth (or to preferred texture).

3. Add a little of the olive oil to a pan along with the remaining cauliflower florets and saffron. Fry until tinged golden brown.

4. Serve the soup chilled or hot, garnishing with the florets, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a good grind of black pepper (season to taste).