Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Here's a nice alternative to cream of potato soup using roasted cauliflower which has become one of my favorite vegetables. Roasted garlic and some cheese really boost the flavor of this one.

Makes about 6 servings

1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
1/4 cup olive oil plus 2 more tablespoons
Salt and pepper for seasoning
6 cloves whole garlic, skins left on
1 medium leek, cleaned and diced
2 Tbl butter
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup half and half
2 cups shredded cheese (I used 1  1/2 cups Kasseri and 1/2 cup Parmesan - but use whatever you like...Fontina, Jack, cheddar etc)

Spread the cauliflower on a large rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle the oil over, add a generous amount of salt and pepper and toss.  Place the garlic cloves in a corner of the sheet and pour the 2 Tbl oil over.
Roast the cauliflower and garlic in a 425F oven for 30 to 35 minutes until it lightly browns around the edges. You may want to turn the florets at about the 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.
In a Dutch oven or soup pot, gently saute the leek in the butter until it softens.  Add the cauliflower and squeeze the garlic out of its skin into the pot.
Add the chicken broth, bring up to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.
Cool the soup to almost room temperature and then, in batches, puree the soup in a blender and return to the pot.
Bring the pureed soup just up to a simmer, stir in the half and half completely and then slowly stir in the cheese a little at a time until it melts. Soup's on!!