Recipe #37: Garlic Soup with Roasted Garlic

Garlic Soup

4 Servings

1 onion, chopped
3 or 4 medium carrots, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
2  sticks of celery, chopped 1 tablespoons butter
28 oz can diced tomatoes (or plum tomatoes quartered)
2 bay leaves
6 cups (1.5 L) chicken stock
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 to 3 heads of roasted garlic (recipe below) Salt and pepper to taste
Small French loaf
1/2 cup (125 mL) Emmenthal cheese, grated

In a large soup pot, brown the first five ingredients 10 to 15 minutes until golden. Add quartered tomatoes, bay leaves, chicken stock and cayenne and simmer 30 minutes.

Squeeze garlic from the roasted heads, putting aside 2 to 3 tablespoons of the purse. Add the remaining roasted garlic to the soup and simmer 10 more minutes.

Strain soup, pressing down on solids. Discard solids and return soup to pot.  Heat and season to taste.

Toast thick-sliced rounds of bread on both sides. Spread roasted garlic reserve over one side and sprinkle with Emmenthal cheese, toast until melted and place rounds into each serving of soup.

*

Roasted Garlic

Heads of garlic, whole
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Cut the tops off the garlic heads and drizzle with olive oil. 

Season with salt and pepper. 

Place in a roasting pan and roast, uncovered, 40 to 50 minutes at 375 F. 

Baste until golden. 

Serve whole at the table, with a knife to remove cloves and spread on bread.