Clove Garlic Soup with Arugula Salad

Dinner nights with friends are always fun! It's even more fun trying new recipes and tasting the result of an evening full of cooking and laughter. My friend found this recipe for Clove Garlic Soup in Whole Living magazine so we decided to give it a try! Living so close to the Garlic Capital of the World, this garlic soup recipe looked intriguing. The soup had a great creamy texture and tasted delicious. The garlic wasn't overpowering at all. Serving this soup in a whole wheat bread bowl made this dinner warm and cozy. We added a light arugula salad to the menu to add some freshness.

 

Clove Garlic Soup Recipe:

2 heads garlic, halved crosswise

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

8 ounces Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle garlic heads with oil. Wrap tightly in foil and roast until tender, about 40 minutes. Let cool, then squeeze garlic from papery skin and set aside.
   
   
2. Bring, stock, potatoes, and roasted garlic to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan.
   
   
3. Let cool slightly, then puree in a blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

A couple notes:

I substituted vegetable broth for chicken broth.

It took longer for the potatoes to become tender than the recipe mentions...about 15 to 20 minutes total.

If you would like to add some heat to the soup, sprinkle a small amount of red pepper flakes to the bottom of the bread bowl.

We added a personal touch to the salad and used the top of the bread bowls to make our own croutons. Cut into small pieces and drizzle with olive oil. Turn the oven onto broil and place croutons in oven until crispy. Add to your salad!

Enjoy!