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Roasted Garlic Soup

Discussion in 'Cooking' started by Nettdata, Oct 11, 2017.

  1. Nettdata

    Nettdata
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    Mr. Toast

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    I'll warn you right now that I cook more by "feel" than by actual measurements and specific times. I've tried to describe the cues that I use for how much and when to do things as best as I can, but it may not work for you.

    To start with, this is the inspiration I had for the recipe a few years ago, so feel free to follow those specific instructions rather than my "gut feel" guidelines.

    https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/roasted-garlic-soup-with-parmesan-cheese-100669


    I started with a big bag of garlic... which I just cut the top off (about 1/3 of the way down the bulb, so that they are easier to pop out later).

    Get a big baking tray (or two), and oil the bottom of it lightly. I use silicon mats with a very light wipe of olive oil.

    Lay out the garlic in the pans, then drizzle oil down into each bulb. No need to drown it, but you want some liquid there.

    Pre-heat the oven to 350, then roast the garlic until it all turns toasty brown and nicely caramelized. I think it took 2 hours or so... don't really remember, as I was drinking. Just keep an eye on them and wait until they're done... it'll vary depending on size and type of garlic. Don't be premature and pull them out all scared... let them get really fucking brown... that is the secret to this recipe... the garlic is caramelizing and changing from harsh and raw to something that is intensely mellow. So yeah, wait until it gets as brown as it can get without getting crunchy or burning... the oil will go along way to keeping it soft.

    While that is going on, I diced up some onions (chalottes work better), and then sweated them in butter and a bit of olive oil in a big soup pot. Sweating means cooking them over low to medium heat so that they get warm and start to get translucent, but aren't hot enough to sizzle or brown by heating up too fast. You can't have too low a heat, it will just take longer... but don't use high heat or it'll burn/rush the process... you don't want to caramelize them, just warm them up and release some of the liquid from the onions. How many chalottes? I usually go for a 3 parts garlic, one part Vedalia onions or chalottes. If the onions are more harsh (like white or Spanish), then use a bit less or else they will overpower everything in the endt. How much olive oil and butter? Just enough so that when it's all mixed up, there's barely enough liquid to coat the onions... no extra liquid in the bottom of the pot.

    While the onions were sweating I cut up about 5-10 cloves (about 5-10% of the total garlic that is roasting) of raw garlic (non roasted) and threw it in with the onions. This adds just a hint of the more traditional (non-roasted) garlic flavour to the onions, so you now have 2 garlic flavour profiles working.

    Once the onions/raw garlic become translucent without browning, add a bit of white wine (enough to cover about 1/4 of the onions in liquid), and some herbs. I had fresh sage, thyme, and oregano handy from my herb garden, so I threw in a whack of them (80% thyme, 10 and 10 sage and oregano).

    Now just keep it on that same heat and let it reduce a bit. Once it gets to a stage where it's becoming a bit sticky rather than liquid, remove it from heat and wait for the garlic to finish roasting.

    Once the garlic is done, let it air cool for a bit (30 mins?) so you can handle it with your hands without burning the shit out of your fingers.

    Squeeze all of the roasted garlic cloves out of the bulbs and put them in the pot of onions/white wine/herbs.

    Once that's done (it took me about 20 minutes to pop all the garlic), add one of those tetris packs of broth... chicken works well, but I think vegetable would also work. Put it on a medium heat and let it start to heat up and reduce down.

    After it starts boiling a bit and everything is up to temp, I begin to blend it slowly with an immersion blender. You cannot blend it too much, so keep going until it no longer looks like anything more is being blended. At that point, while still running the immersion blender, pour in some heavy or coffee cream... whatever you have on hand. This time I used part whipping cream (because thanksgiving and pumpkin pie and lots of whipping cream on hand) and the leftovers of some coffee cream that was in the fridge. You want to add enough to make the liquid go a bit thick and creamy, but you don't want it to become too creamy and lose the broth's colour. All in all, I think I used about 1/4 the amount of broth. Be careful, because if you do it before the wine has a chance to pretty much boil off, then the cream will curdle a bit... so don't feel the need to rush on this step.

    Now let it come back up to a boil (on medium heat or so), and drop the heat until it is just a light bubbling boil... and let it just reduce.

    Let it reduce until you get to the consistency you want for your soup.

    Once it's reduced, THEN season it to taste (salt and pepper), let it cool off a bit, then put it in the fridge. If you season it too soon, and then reduce it, you run the risk of over-salting it. (Liquid evaporates, salt doesn't).

    The flavours will imbibe overnight, and the garlic taste will actually mellow out a bit and become more complex (much like a wine that sits in a decanter).

    Once that's done it's ready to reheat for service.

    Take a bowl and shred some Parmesan in the bottom of it, pour in the soup, then drizzle a few drops of olive oil, and some fresh salt/pepper (if required) on top. You can also apply a squeeze from a lemon wedge to it as well, or even a few drops of a nice, thick balsamic vinegar. Truffle oil does well too.

    Tastes pretty fucking good, and you'll fart up a storm for hours.
     
  2. Revengeofthenerds

    Revengeofthenerds
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    I'll be making this tonight. Just picked up everything from the grocery store. They had some beautiful shallots, so I'll be using those in combination with some yellow onion. Got 10 large head of garlic.

    Gonna use chicken broth and heavy whipping cream. And go heavier on the oregano and sage than you did but that's just personal preference. I love wine reductions in my food. There's a great local winery that sells a pino grigio for about $6. I've used more expensive wines in reductions, but this one always does the best.
     
  3. Hoosiermess

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    I just finished making this, and while it hasn’t had a chance to sit overnight yet I think it’s pretty damn good. I’m worried about the reaction though. I’m wondering if some mushrooms might give it additional texture.
     
  4. Nettdata

    Nettdata
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    Mr. Toast

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    A bunch of things can be added to it, including mushrooms.

    And if you like it now... give it a couple hours.
     
  5. Revengeofthenerds

    Revengeofthenerds
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    Next time I do it I'm adding chives, potato and bacon crumbles. Unfortunately my wife hates mushrooms, otherwise I'd add those too.

    I might try making it with two different types of onion as well, in addition to the shallots. Last time I did half and half shallots and yellow onion. I'm thinking either white or sweet onion. You can never have too much onion and garlic.
     
  6. Nettdata

    Nettdata
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    Mr. Toast

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    When it comes right down to it, the roasted garlic puree/soup can be considered to be a fantastic base, not just a soup on its own. There is so much you can do with it from there.

    Like I mentioned elsewhere, I took some of it and whipped it with some mashed potatoes for the best garlic mashed potatoes ever, I've thickened it right up (by reducing it like crazy) to be a dip with baked Camembert, that kind of thing.
     
  7. Now Slappy

    Now Slappy
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    I made this on Tuesday for our soup for Thanksgiving. I added chives, baby portobellos, and some porcini mushrooms, and instead of olive oil I used bacon grease to sweat the onions and shallots. It turned out great, and last night everyone was farting up a storm.

    Even my oldest daughter, who is usually a very picky eater, gobbled it up. Most of the family was hesitant, but they were all game and really enjoyed the result. Even my father-in-law, who doesn't like garlic(Yeah, I know, I don't get it either), went back for seconds.

    Thanks Nett!! I will definitely make this again.
     
  8. Nettdata

    Nettdata
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    Mr. Toast

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    My work here is done.
     
  9. Now Slappy

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    Oh, and I forgot to add that I drizzled in a little white truffle oil on top of the soup as I was serving it. It really added a nice touch.
     
  10. Nettdata

    Nettdata
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    Made some garlic soup today and took some pics:

    Big bag of garlic heads from the local grower:

    IMG_6920.jpeg
    Cut them up and then dunked the top of them in some olive oil:
    IMG_6922.jpeg
    Put them into a 350 oven for about 45 mins or so, covered in tin foil so that they wouldn't burn (too much).

    Meanwhile I started to caramelize some onions... cut up a few different types of onions, put them in a pan with some olive oil and some lemon and herb infused butter. After about 10 minutes I added some salt and a few tablespoons of sugar.

    IMG_6923.jpeg

    Magic happens. When the onions were scraped out, I then added some water and balsamic to deglaze the pan and added the juices/chunkies into the caramelized onions.

    IMG_6927.jpeg

    And right about that time, the garlic was ready:

    IMG_6928.jpeg
     
    #10 Nettdata, Oct 12, 2019
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2019
  11. Nettdata

    Nettdata
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    Mr. Toast

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    Used a little wooden cheese spreader knife to pull the garlic out:

    IMG_6933.jpeg

    Dumped the garlic and about 2/3 of the caramelized onions into 2 containers of chicken broth:

    IMG_6934.jpeg

    Immersion blended it, while adding some whipping cream, butter, salt (it can use a lot of salt). and a couple of cups of shredded Parmesan cheese.

    IMG_6935.jpeg

    Now it's going to stay in the fridge overnight in the crock pot, and tomorrow will be served with the soup in the bowl, some more freshly grated Parmesan cheese, some lemon juice (a squeezed wedge per bowl), some lemon zest sprinkled on top, and a little pile of caramelized onions.

    Had a sample bowl (maybe 2) tonight and it is fucking TASTY.
     
  12. Nettdata

    Nettdata
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    Mr. Toast

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    I'm farting so loudly and stinky right now that the cat is actually yelling at me and leaving the room. I can't stop laughing, which is making me fart more.

    Oh, how I love this soup!