For the Soup:

1. Heat the butter and oil together over medium heat in a large pot. Once the butter is melted, add in the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes or until the onion is very soft and translucent.
2. Add in the garlic, sage, red pepper flakes, and cumin and cook for another minute. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add in the wine, cauliflower, beans, parmesan cheese rind, and chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the cauliflower is extremely tender.
4. Carefully, working in batches, blend the soup until smooth (alternatively, blend in the pot with an immersion blender).
5. Return the soup to the pot and stir in the half-and-half. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Keep warm until you are ready to serve.

For the Brown Butter:

1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add the butter. Stir the butter constantly as it melts and bubbles. After a couple minutes, you should see brown bits appear on the bottom of the pan. Remove from the pan from the heat immediately and add in the sage leaves. Stir the sage and butter around the pan constantly (off the heat!) for another 30-45 seconds. The sage leaves will crisp up in the hot butter. Season with a pinch of salt. Reserve for garnishing the soup.

To Serve:

1. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a generous drizzle of the brown butter, a few crispy sage leaves, and a grating of parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

NOTES:

1. I always save the rinds of my parmesan cheese chunks for flavoring sauces, soups, and stews. You can keep them in the freezer until you need them. If you do not have a cheese rind available, grate ⅓ cup parmesan cheese into the soup while it simmers.