Creamy Roasted Garlic & Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 1 large head of garlic, roasted (about 10 large cloves)
• 2 tbsp bacon fat, melted (drippings from sodium reduced bacon)
• 1 1/2 pounds of potatoes (about 3-4 medium potatoes), peeled, cubed, boiled
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup cooking onions, diced
• 3 cups low or no salt added chicken or vegetable
• 1 cup starchy potato water (or use another cup of broth) broth
• 1 cup 1% milk
• 1/4 cup half & half 10% cream
• 1/4 cup low fat, low sodium sour cream
• 1/8 tsp dried thyme
• 1/8 tsp ground rosemary
• 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (could also use Swiss or Parmesan)
• 2 strips reduced sodium bacon, crumbled
• ground pepper to taste

Directions

1. cook bacon to crispy stage, drain and reserve 2 tbsp of bacon fat

2. preheat oven to 350°

3. cut the top off a large bulb of garlic to expose as many of the cloves as possible, peel off as much of the papery layers and place the clove(s) in the center of a square of aluminum foil. As many as 3 bulbs of garlic can go in one package. Drizzle the cloves with the melted bacon grease. Wrap securely and place on a pie plate. Place in the oven and cook for about 1 hour. Don’t burn the garlic as it will be bitter. Unwrap and let the garlic cool before attempting to squeeze the cloves from the head. Using a fork, mash the soft cloves into a paste.

4. boil the potatoes until cooked, drain but reserve a cup of the starchy water from the end of the draining. If potatoes are in large pieces, chop up or lightly mash.

5. melt the butter in a large pot and add the onions, cook until they are translucent and stir in the flour to make an onion-y roux…do not brown the flour.

6. add in the chicken/vegetable broth, potato water, milk, cream, sour cream, thyme and rosemary and bring to a boil, stirring so that the milk does not burn on the bottom

7. reduce heat to simmer and add the potatoes, the roasted garlic paste and the shredded cheese and continue to heat until the cheese is melted

8. using a potato masher, puree the soup….or use a blender or immersion blender to make the job easier and to make
the soup smooth and velvety

9. top with bits of green onion, chives, parsley, bacon crumbles or dried dill weed and serve hot.