Roasted Garlic Soup

Personally, I have a great relationship with garlic – I put it in my food whenever I can. So when I saw this recipe, how could I say no?

Ingredients:

• 2 large whole unpeeled garlic heads, plus 1 clove, minced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 cups minced onion
• 1 cup minced carrots
• 1 large potato (1 1/4 cups), peeled and cubed
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Direction:

1. Roast the garlic: Preheat oven to 350°F. Using a serrated knife, cut the top off each garlic head so that the tip of each clove is exposed. Place the garlic heads on a large piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the bay leaves and fold the foil to form a packet. Place the packet in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Cool slightly. In a small bowl, squeeze the garlic head until all of the roasted flesh is released. Discard outer husks and bay leaves.
2. Make the soup: In a large heavy-duty saucepan, heat the remaining olive oil and butter, add onions, and cook over medium heat until translucent—about 4 minutes. Add the carrots and continue to cook for 5 more minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the potato, chicken stock, white wine, roasted garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook for 35 minutes.
3. Finish the soup: Using a blender, puree the soup in small batches until smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the heavy cream. Heat until warmed. Do not boil. Keep warm until ready to serve.

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