Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Spicy Peanut Butter Crème

This cauliflower soup was inspired by the classic French potato and leek soup, Potage Parmentier. In that dish, the flavor of leek and potato stand out clean and simple; likewise in this soup, the flavors of cauliflower, onion, and garlic prevail. This soup, which isn’t spicy until you stir in the spicy peanut butter crème, is taken to the next level by the addition of the crème and a few fun garnishes. If you prefer your vegetable soup recipe completely smooth and creamy, feel free to add a bit of liquid as you process the vegetables in the food processor, or even use a regular or immersion blender instead.

Ingredients:
1 medium head cauliflower, chopped into florets
2 medium onions, peeled, both ends trimmed, and quartered
3 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
4 cups water (or low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock)
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup The Heat Is On peanut butter
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons Peanut Butter & Co. Golden Roasted Peanuts, chopped
A few parsley leaves, for garnish (optional)
Chili-garlic sauce, for garnish (optional)

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Toss the cauliflower, onion, garlic, olive oil, salt, and black pepper together on a large baking sheet and spread in an even layer.
3. Bake until tender and starting to brown in spots, about 30 minutes, tossing once halfway through.
4. Transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor and process until smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl down as necessary and giving the motor a break periodically. (You may need to process the vegetables in 2 batches, depending on the size of your food processor.)
5. Add the pureed vegetables and water (or stock) to a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
6. Whisk together the heavy cream, peanut butter, and sea salt in a small bowl until smooth, then gradually whisk in 2 tablespoons water.
7. Stir half of the peanut butter crème into the soup, reserving the other half for garnish.
8. Ladle the soup into 4 bowls and top each with a drizzle of peanut butter crème and a sprinkle of chopped peanuts. Add the parsley leaves and/or chili-garlic sauce on top if desired. Serve warm.