roasted garlic and potato soup
Most of the country is preparing for an upcoming wicked cold snap right now. Today, we're seeing 70 degree temperatures. However, on Friday, it didn't even break freezing.
Needless to say, it's been a weird winter.
I've been posting a lot of recipes this month. I'm pretty light on my travel plans for a few weeks because of the holidays...and because we're gearing up for an international beach trip next month. I. Cannot. Wait. So, in the meantime, here's a delicious (and deceptively simple) soup recipe to get us all through until warmer weather prevails.
roasted garlic and potato soup
prep time: 20 minutes | cook time: 45 minutes in the oven, 45 minutes stovetop
experience level: easy peasy | specialty: vegetarian
- 3 pounds Russet potatoes
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 bulb of garlic
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 4 cups reduced sodium vegetable (or chicken) broth
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 tbsp reduced sodium Worcestershire sauce
- 1 large sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 small sprig fresh thyme
- 3/4 cup low fat milk
- 1/4 cup half and half (or heavy cream)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- optional toppings: crumbled bacon, sour cream, chives, parmesan cheese, waffle potato chips
Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit / 218° Celsius. Line a large baking sheet with foil and mist with cooking spray. Scrub and peel the potatoes, cutting them into 1-inch chunks. Peel the onion. Trim both ends off, then cut the onion into quarters. Remove the excess "paper" from the bulb of garlic, then trim off the top. Arrange the vegetables on a baking sheet.
Drizzle the veggies with the melted butter, then season with salt and pepper. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, being sure to stir halfway through. Cook until the vegetables until golden brown.
When the veggies are done, remove from the oven and turn it off. Set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes. Dump potatoes and onions into a large stockpot. Squeeze the cloves of garlic from the paper and place in the pot. Pour the vegetable broth and water on top of the vegetable, then stir in the Worcestershire sauce. Place the fresh herbs on top and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the pot from the stovetop. Remove the rosemary and thyme stems, then purée the soup using an immersion blender. If you don't have one, get one...or just use a regular blender or food processor (in batches). Once most of the chunks are out, slowly incorporate the milk and cream, until the soup is thick and creamy.
Load up a bowl with your choice of toppings and serve with hearty bread.
And, for the record, I didn't have any bacon on mine...this time.
