Divide cauliflower into florets and chop the florets into small pieces. Add cauliflower to a large soup pot with 2 C. water and 4 C. vegetable broth. Juice the lemon and peel off a 1-inch strip of the zest. (Be sure to zest the lemon carefully. You don't want any of the white pith attached to the zest. The pith is bitter.) Add 2 T. of the fresh lemon juice, salt and the strip of zest to the soup pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat and simmer (covered) for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the lemon zest.

While the soup is cooking, chop carrots, celery and onion. Saute these vegetables in 2 T. of olive oil in a skillet along with the garlic and 1/2 t. sea salt. You want to saute the vegetables for about 20 minutes until they are soft and beginning to brown. Add the herbs and stir for a few additional minutes.

Add the sauteed vegetable and herb mixture to the soup pot with the cauliflower mixture. Cover the soup pot and simmer for an additional 15 minutes. You want the cauliflower to be very tender. Remove the soup from the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes before you blend it.

Puree soup in a blender. Add salt to taste. Add additional lemon juice to taste. Return the soup to the pot and bring it to a simmer. Add the cheese and the last T. of olive oil. Stir until the cheese melts and is incorporated into the soup.( I found that using a whisk made it easier to incorporate the cheese uniformly into the soup.)

Saute 1 C. of coarse breadcrumbs in 2 T. of butter.

Serve soup topped with buttered breadcrumbs.

Cook's note: If you are feeling indulgent, add a glug of cream to the soup. The original recipe used 1 t. herbs de Provence in the soup. I didn't like the flavor of the rosemary or lavender in the soup and substituted dried thyme, fennel, oregano, and basil.