Roasted Garlic Soup ♥
Today's soup recipe: A garlic soup, deepened with roasted garlic and made creamy with potato plus a splash of cream. Low carb and for Weight Watchers, 2 or 3 points. Plus, my annual reminder that we plant garlic in the fall some time in the middle of October.
Did my home-ec teacher mother even know about garlic? Surely, she must have. But if she did, garlic awareness didn't translate into garlic cooking, perhaps, I suspect in her defense, because fresh garlic wasn't available in our small-town grocery?
So I was 13 or 14 when garlic entered my life, not with a bang but a full-nasal blast. My Auntie Karen's house reeked of garlic when she made Chicken Cacciatore for my annual birthday supper. What WAS that smell? She laughed and held out a head of garlic for inspection. How could something so small pack such a punch?
How far our food world has come! Few kitchens are now without garlic, it's a staple. And for awhile now, in my kitchen, not only is garlic a staple, so is roasted garlic. It's the basis for this creamy soup, which also packs a punch and to my taste, anyway, is best enjoyed in a small serving.
REMINDER: If you live in the northern hemisphere, it's time to plant garlic! Find out all the details in a 2007 post, How (and Why) to Grow Garlic at Home.
RECIPE for ROASTED GARLIC SOUP
Hands-on time: 20 minutes (presumes the garlic is already roasted)
Time to table: 1 hour but best to let rest for a day or so before eating
Makes 4-1/2 cups
Time to table: 1 hour but best to let rest for a day or so before eating
Makes 4-1/2 cups
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
4 heads roasted garlic, how to roast garlic
1 large potato, skin on, washed well and chopped
4 cups chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup cream
Fresh thyme, for garnish
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil on MEDIUM HIGH until shimmery. Add the onion and garlic, sauté until just soft. Stir in the garlic, potato, broth and thyme and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a slow simmer, cover and let simmer until the potato is soft, about 30 minutes. Season to taste. Use an immersion blender to process until smooth. Alternatively, transfer 2 - 3 cups at a time to a blender, following these safety tips for processing hot liquids in a blender. (If making ahead of time, stop here and refrigerate for a day or so for the flavors to meld. Return to a boil.) Stir in the cream and heat through but do not allow to boil. Transfer to serving bowls, garnish with fresh thyme, serve and savor!
TODAY'S RECIPE INSPIRATION Adapted from a recipe published in St. Louis' great food monthly, Sauce Magazine, written by Stef Tolle from Iron Stef.
NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per half cup: 94 Calories; 4g Tot Fat; 2g Sat Fat; 9mg Cholesterol; 253mg Sodium; 12g Carb; 1g Fiber; 2g Sugar; 3g Protein.
WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 2, PointsPlus 3
NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per half cup: 94 Calories; 4g Tot Fat; 2g Sat Fat; 9mg Cholesterol; 253mg Sodium; 12g Carb; 1g Fiber; 2g Sugar; 3g Protein.
WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 2, PointsPlus 3
MORE FALL SOUP RECIPES
~ Broccoli Potato Cheddar Soup ~
~ Oven-Cooked Lentil Soup ~
~ 15-Bean Soup ~
~ more soup recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture
~ Laura's Carrot Soup ~
~ Creamy Wild Rice Soup ~
~ Turkey Sweet Potato Soup ~
~ more soup recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade
~ Broccoli Potato Cheddar Soup ~
~ Oven-Cooked Lentil Soup ~
~ 15-Bean Soup ~
~ more soup recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture
~ Laura's Carrot Soup ~
~ Creamy Wild Rice Soup ~
~ Turkey Sweet Potato Soup ~
~ more soup recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade
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I too am a HUGE garlic lover. Thank you for this recipe, I will have to make it! It will go great with some fresh baked bread.
ReplyDeleteThis soup looks DIVINE. And I just checked the calendar - if you're minding the moonsigns in the garden (I need all the help I can get LOL), the best days to plant garlic this month (and anything else that grows underground, like turnips and carrots and potatoes - if it's warm enough where you are to grow them this time of year, which wouldn't be us here in Missouri) are fertile days in the 3rd quarter: the 23rd, 28th, and 29th. :)
ReplyDeleteRoxan - yes, baked bread!
ReplyDeleteSusan - thank you for adding these dates, perhaps not knowing the "best dates" explains the disappointment in this summer's garden ...
I've been picking up a pound or so of garlic from THE garlic guy at the market every time I go! Last week was his last week, so I'll have to make do with what I've got, but roasted garlic soup is definitely going to happen!
ReplyDeleteAs soon as my tomatoes are done, I'll be planting a few cloves of garlic for next year, as well - I am definitely looking forward, both to my own garlic and to the scapes next spring. :)
Use lots of horse manure. Garlic is a heavy feeder.
ReplyDeleteJust discovered your blog. I'm going to add you to my blogroll. We're big meat eaters, and it would be good to eat more veggies!
ReplyDeleteWe harvested our first garlic this summer. When cutting the scapes, I brought one to my nose to smell it. A few minutes later, my lip felt funny, painful and slightly numb. I looked in the mirror and it was swollen. I assumed I'd been stung by something in the garden until I remembered the garlic scape. I must have accidentally brushed the freshly cut end against my lip -- potent indeed!
ReplyDeleteRoasted garlic is such a great ingredient. We like it spread on bread and mixed into souse and stews. This looks like another great use!
ReplyDeleteGosh, this sounds good! I love roasted garlic.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I had bookmarked this recipe when you posted it and finally remembered to buy garlic at the farmer's market today. It was fast and easy and delicious!
ReplyDeleteAnd we should be safe from vampires on this full moon night :D
Karen