This soup recipe is a definite "10." Your guests will never believe how much garlic there is in this soup. After the garlic has been cooked slowly for a certain length of time, it loses its harsh rawness and becomes delicate and refined. It's hard to say exactly how or at what stage this happens - it is one of those mysteries which makes cooking so fascinating. This will be one of your favorite soup recipes. I have served this soup with many of my Dinner Party Menus.

More of Linda's great Soup, Stew, and Chili Recipes.

Don't forget to check out my Veal Scaloppine Piccata dinner menu, Lamb Roast with Port Wine Sauce dinner menu, and Linquine with Black Truffles dinner menu which includes this wonderful Poached Garlic Soup.

30 cloves garlic, peeled
7 cups vegetable or chicken broth, divided
Toasted Garlic-Butter Bread (see recipe below)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
8 small new potatoes, peeled, diced and reserved in cold water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
Salt and coarsely ground pepper to taste
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine garlic cloves and 3 cups of vegetable or chicken broth; bring to a boil and poach 15 minutes or until soft. Remove garlic cloves to a small bowl and mash with a fork; set aside for use in make Toasted Garlic-Butter Bread. Cook and reduce chicken broth to a glaze; remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare Toasted Garlic-Butter Bread; cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve.

In a large soup pot over low heat, melt butter. Add onion and sauté until soft. Drain the water from the potatoes; stir the potatoes into the butter and onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Add remaining 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth. Increase heat to medium-high; simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes or until the potatoes are softened. Remove from heat and let cool 10 to 15 minutes.

In a food processor or blender, puree soup; return to soup pot. Add garlic glaze; stir until well blended.

NOTE: The soup can be made 1 to 2 days in advance up until this stage. Refrigerate until ready to finish.

Stir in heavy cream, milk, salt, and pepper; cook, over low heat, another 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Serve in soup bowls and garnish with parmesan cheese. Serve with Toasted Garlic-Butter Bread.

Makes 6 servings.

Toasted Garlic-Butter Bread
6 slices sourdough bread, thinly sliced and lightly toasted
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
Poached garlic cloves

Preheat broiler. In a small bowl, combine butter and mashed garlic cloves; mash until well blended. Spread garlic mixture evenly over the top of the bread slices. When ready to serve, broil bread for a few seconds or until top is lightly browned and bubbly.

NOTE:  Bread can be assembled earlier in the day and placed on a pan. Cover well with plastic wrap.