Ingredients
- 2 pounds assorted alliums-white and yellow onions, leek bulbs and shallots
- 2 large garlic bulbs
- 2 medium carrots
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 6 cups water (or vegetable or chicken stock)
- 10 stems parsley
- fresh sage leaves
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups room-temperature half-and-half cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- 1 cup bread croutons
- salt and white pepper to taste
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cut the tops of the garlic heads, rub with oil, and wrap in foil.
- Peel and coarsely chop the leeks, onions, shallots and carrots.
- Combine the alliums and carrots in a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil and butter. Place foil-wrapped garlic in the same pan. Roast for 1 1/2 hours, or until vegetables are golden brown.
- Remove foil from garlic and allow to cool. When cool enough to handle, squeeze the roasted garlic from the cloves into the pot with the other roasted vegetables.
- Tie the parsley, sage and bay leaf into a bundle to make a bouquet garni and add to vegetables.
- Add stock and simmer for 1/2 hour–completely cook the vegetables for the best flavor and a better puree. Discard the bouquet garni.
- Puree the mixture with a hand blender or let cool slightly and pur?e in a stationary blender.
- Add half-and-half, salt and white pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with croutons and chopped chives.
Although a homemade chicken stock could be used for these two recipes, both chefs say that a vegetable stock would also work well and would be suitable for vegetarians.
