Roasted Garlic Potato Soup

Good to see you back here, and happy new year to you! I wish at the end of this year to remember this moment and let myself surprised by a slightly chaotic remembering of those good things I intend to do, especially in this gray-turquoise area.

Although I already have a few recipes waiting to be presented, I just have to prioritize this wonderful potato soup, as simple to prepare as it is generous in flavor and texture.

I do not know what kept me from preparing more often cream soups, but now that I’ve discovered this simple and delicious meal, I will put  all my creativity in finding wonderful ways of mixing all the variety of vegetables cream soups can support.

Once I`ve tasted this potato soup prepared in this way, I don`t thing I want to cook it another way. It is creamy but not without texture, given by the pieces of potato and celery left intentionally. It has a generous taste that hides discreetly, but only until the first bite, a mild garlic flavor. Also, the caramelized onion and the thin strips of bacon will complete every bite of this delicious soup.

Roasted Garlic Potato Soup

4 large potatoes
1/2 celery
1 head of garlic
1 large onion
1 red pepper
100 g bacon
200 ml cooking cream
salt, pepper, rosemary

• Peel the potatoes and the celery and cut them into small dices. I had similar amount of celery and potatoes. Boil the dices in salted water.
• Roast the garlic. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (125 degrees C). Slice 1/4 inch off top of garlic bulb. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap in aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes, until outside is lightly browned and garlic cloves are soft. When cool enough to touch, squeeze each clove to extract softened garlic
• When the potatoes and celery are cooked, remove half of the amount and puree it in a blender also with the roasted garlic. Put the potato and celery puree back in pot and add the cooking cream. Adjust salt and pepper and add a little rosemary.
•  Allow the soup to boil 5 minutes longer while you chop the onion, cut the bacon in stripes and dice the red pepper. Fry these 3 ingredients together over low heat until onion is nicely brown.
• Add one tablespoon of onion, bacon and pepper when serving, or mix the fried ingredients with the whole soup. The taste will be just as great!