Garlic Soup

Name: Garlic Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 3 whole garlic bulbs; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 tablespoons butter; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1-1/4 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme; 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth; 1 bay leaf; 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream; 1 tablespoon sherry, optional; Optional: Grated Parmesan cheese, fresh coarsely ground black pepper

Total Time Prep: 10 min. Cook: 25 min.

Yield 4 servings

Test Kitchen Approved

This garlic soup is a winner, even if you're not a big-time garlic aficionado. It uses roasted garlic rather than raw, so it's rich, mellow and utterly comforting on a cold day.

Ingredients

3 whole garlic bulbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon minced fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon pepper
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon sherry, optional
Optional: Grated Parmesan cheese, fresh coarsely ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°. Remove papery outer skin from garlic bulb, but do not peel or separate cloves. Cut tops off of garlic bulbs, exposing individual cloves; brush with oil. Wrap in heavy-duty foil. Bake until cloves are softened, 30-35 minutes. Unwrap and cool for 10 minutes. Squeeze garlic cloves into a bowl; mash with a fork until smooth.
In a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook until slightly caramelized on edges, 8-10 minutes. Stir in garlic, salt, thyme, sage and pepper; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in flour; cook until browned, 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in broth; add bay leaf. Bring to a simmer; cook until thickened, 8-10 minutes, whisking frequently. Add cream and, if desired, sherry.
Remove soup from heat; cool slightly. Discard bay leaf. Process soup in batches in a blender until smooth, return to pan. If desired, top with Parmesan and pepper.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 286 calories, 20g fat (11g saturated fat), 49mg cholesterol, 1367mg sodium, 21g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 1g fiber), 7g protein.

Creamy soup is comforting on a cold day, but one made with mellow and rich roasted garlic somehow hits the spot in a way that many other soups don’t. A tablespoon of sherry is optional, but definitely upgrades the flavor. Use a dry sherry, not a cooking sherry, because those are packed with unneeded salt. —Megan Taylor, Greenfield, Wisconsin

Recipe Creator