Roasted Garlic And Shallot Potato Soup With Cheesy Croutons

Description

Source: Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2004 - Cooking Light Magazine

The strong cheese provide a good opportunity to enjoy a full-flavored ale that doesn't dominate the food. Try Fuller's ESB from London, or Dock Street Ale from Philadelphia. The caramel flavors of Guinness stout would also work well.

Ingredients

• 5 whole garlic heads, unpeeled
• 3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 10 shallots, unpeeled (about 3/4 pound)
• 2 cups coarsely chopped onion
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled baking potato (about 3/4 pound)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
• 16 (1/2-inch-thick) slices French bread baguette
• Cooking spray
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. To prepare soup, remove white papery skins from garlic heads )do not peel or separate cloves); cut off tops, leaving root ends intact.
3. Place garlic in a shallow roasting pan.
4. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over garlic; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
5. Cover with foil.
6. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes.
7. Add shallots to pan.
8. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over shallots; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
9. Cover and bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until tender and browned.
10. Cool.
11. Squeeze garlic to extract pulp, peel shallots.
12. Discard skins.
13. Set garlic pulp and shallots aside.
14. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion.
15. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
16. Add garlic pulp, peeled shallots, and wine.
17. reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.
18. Stir in broth, potato, and thyme; bring to a boil.
19. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender.
20. Cool slightly.
21. Place half of potato mixture in a blender; process until smooth.
22. Pour puréed mixture into a large bowl.
23. Repeat procedure with remaining potato mixture.
24. Return puréed mixture to pan; stir in milk, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
25. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
26. Preheat oven to 400°.
27. To prepare croutons, place bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet.
28. Lightly coat tops of bread with cooking spray.
29. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes or until lightly browned.
30. Sprinkle cheeses evenly over bread slices.
31. Bake 3 minutes or until cheese melts.
32. Serve warm with soup.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup soup and 2 croutons)