Heat half of the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium. Add shallots, garlic, leek, bay leaves, and thyme, season with salt. Cook uncovered stirring occasionally until shallots are translucent - do not brown.
Add wine to pot, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half...about 4 minutes.
Set aside a little less than a quarter of the cauliflower. Set aside a portion of the cashews equal to the amount of buckwheat in the recipe.
Add the larger portion of both the cauliflower and cashews to the pot along with the cayenne pepper.
Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and cook, shaking pot occasionally, until cauliflower is fork-tender - about 20-25 minutes. Reduce heat if vegetables are beginning to brown. Works best with a tight fitting lid.
Add the stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until cauliflower is falling apart...about 20-25 minutes.
Meanwhile, finely chop remaining cauliflower and cashews. Heat remaining half of oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add cauliflower, cashews, and buckwheat groads, then season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until cauliflower and cashews are golden brown and buckwheat is browned and crisp...about 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and paprika. Let cool slightly.
Working in batches depending on capacity of blender, puree soup until very smooth. Return to pot and reheat over medium-low. Soup should be consistency of heavy cream. Taste and season again if needed.
Serve soup topped with toasted buckwheat mixture.
Recipe Notes
Soup can be made up to 2 days ahead (or 1 month if frozen).
I like to cook and experiment in the kitchen. Usually I go by memory, but I also use recipes from various sources. I wanted to make this site to keep everything in one place and to keep track of the changes that make the food taste best. Also I'd like this to be a place that my friends and family can learn more about me through the food I make.
