Lancashire cheese and cauliflower soup with black-pudding crumble

Serves 6-8

Lancashire cheese has a lighter, more tangy flavour than cheddar. I always use it in a cauliflower cheese, so it made sense to combine both again in this rich soup – ideal for winter suppers. For the black-pudding crumble, use the type without the fatty lumps.

— 60g butter

— 2 medium onions, roughly chopped

— 1 medium-sized cauliflower, cut into small florets and the stalk into 1cm dice

— 2 Maris Piper or other floury potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

— 600ml whole milk

— 500ml vegetable stock — 200g Lancashire cheese, crumbled

For the black-pudding crumble

— 1 tbsp dripping or butter

— 200g black pudding, the skin removed and crumbled into small chunks

— 80g curly parsley, chopped

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onion. Cook until softened but not coloured, then add the cauliflower and potato. Stir-fry for a minute or so, then add the milk and stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer until the vegetables are soft.

Transfer to a blender with the cheese and process until smooth. Return the soup to the pan, then season to taste.

To make the black-pudding crumble, place a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Add the fat, allow it to heat, then add the black pudding. Cook it, stirring, until the crumbled pieces are crisp – be careful they do not burn. Set the pan to one side in a warm place.

To serve, reheat the soup, stirring it in the pan until it steams – do not let it boil – then stir the parsley into the black-pudding crumble. Ladle the soup into bowls, then scatter over the crumble.