I’m a huge fan of the allium family. Onions of all kinds, and the stinkiest, most potent garlic you can find. I don’t even care how stinky it is, it tastes GOOD.
Aside from pasta dishes chalk full of garlic & onion, there’s one recipe that I can’t seem to stop being amazed by. Roasted Garlic Soup. Roasting the onions and garlic in the oven for over an hour turns this dish into a sweet, savory dish. One you’ll find yourself licking the bowl long after it’s gone — or at least I do.
What You’ll Need:
4 to 6 large red onions, quartered
2 heads of garlic, cloves peeled
2 shallots, peeled
2Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs Emeril’s Original Essence (recipe follows)
6 cups Chicken Stock
2 tsps finely chopped fresh sage
2 tsps finely chopped fresh thyme
3/4 tsps salt
2 tsps Balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup heavy cream (you can omit, for vegan. it will be less creamy, more watery)
Any bread for serving (I suggest topping with croutons or crusty bread for more of a “french onion” texture. Though, when I’m feelin’ less inclined, I just toast up some regular ol’ french bread and serve it in slices on the side.)
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Quarter, peel, and chop all vegetables and herbs to specification.
Combine all vegetables in a roasting pan large enough to hold a single layer. Add the olive oil & Essence and toss to coat. Roast until well browned, which should take about an hour and a half.
Remove the pan from the oven and set over two burners on medium low heat.
If you are working with a electric stove, here’s what I do (as I have one). I roast my vegetables in a dish. When they are done, I scrape as much as I can from the bottom & transfer it to a pot. Then continue with the rest of the recipe as follows.
In the pot (or roasting pan) add two cups of your Chicken Stock, the sage, thyme, and salt. Cook for 10 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden utensil.
Transfer your mixture to a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth. It should be about 2 minutes. If you want more of a textured soup, process less.
Pour/scrape puree back into your pot on a medium-low heat. Add the rest of the Chicken stock and the Balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, and then stir in your cream.
Serve immediately, hot. Top with croutons (to let them absorb moisture & swell to create a kind of topping) or side with toasted bread.
EMERIL’S ESSENSE (makes a jar or so)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
This recipe, seriously, is so good. Thanks to Emeril’s Potluck book… I am a happy girl. And I know a man who has been very happy about it, too đ
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please shoot me a message or a comment! Thanks guys!