Roasted Garlic Soup with Croutons & Gruyere compliments of Seattle’s Chef Congdon

hopviveI have heard this soup be described as liquid crack.  I had a customer ask if she could just take it intravenously.  I have beer distributors who, every Monday and Thursday, consume a bowl of it and then complain throughout the off-seasons for our lack.  I have regular customers who come to the Hopvine three or four times a week  only during the six months that this soup is on the menu.  I have been repeatedly asked to jar and sell this soup prepackaged.  I sell more quarts of this soup to go than any other soup, apart from my Southwestern Pumpkin.  I would venture to guess that only .1% of the customers who have ordered it have not enjoyed it.  The bowls certainly come back empty.

Roasted Garlic Soup with Croutons & Gruyere

Serves 48 1 cup
Prep time 3 hours
Meal type Chablis, Rosemary, Vegetable Stock
Season Fall

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups olive oil

  • 2 Cups minced garlic

  • 2 Cups Roasted garlic purée
  • 8 Cups Chablis

  • 16 Cups Vegetable stock

  • 2 ounces fresh marjoram leaves and stems, chopped

  • 2 ounces fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

  • 2 ounces fresh thyme leaves and stems, chopped
2 ounces fresh oregano leaves and stems, chopped

  • 2 ounces fresh rosemary stemmed and chopped

  • 2 ounces fresh sage, stemmed and chopped

  • 2 Tablespoons India Red Chili flakes
16 Bay leaves crumbled

  • 2 Tablespoons whole Tellicherry black peppercorn

  • 2 Tablespoons French sea salt

  • 16 cups heavy whipping cream
  • Croutons
  • Gruyere Cheese, sliced thin

  • Whole nutmeg (optional)

Directions

1 In a two gallon deep stock pot, sauté minced garlic in olive oil over high heat until golden.
2 Add all the herbs, salt, pepper and chili flakes to the pot. Stir well to coat with oil, cover and lower heat to a medium flame and sautée for 15 minutes. Stirring occasionally to keep the herbs from scorching on the bottom of the pot.
3 Whisk together the wine, roasted garlic purée, and half the vegetable stock. Add to the pot. Stir well, cover and let the soup reach a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, and allow the soup to simmer for 3 hours.
4 In batches, puree the soup in a food processor until it reaches a smooth consistency. Press as much purée as possible through a strainer. Discard all bits and pieces that remain in the strainer. Whisk in the remaining vegetable stock. Place in the refrigerator and allow it to cool uncovered. (At this point you can freeze the soup.
5 When ready to serve, preheat oven to 400˚F. For every cup of soup whisk in a half cup of heavy cream. Bring this to a simmer over medium heat. Put a 1/4 cup croutons in each soup bowl. Fill each bowl with the soup. Place enough slices of Gruyere over the soup that it completely covers the soup and rests on the edges of the bowls. Place in Warm oven and bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is completely melted. Carefully remove the bowls from the oven. Place on serving plates and shave fresh nutmeg on top of each soup. Serve immediately.
6 Recipe, Roasted Garlic Soup with Croutons and Gruyere, Chef Michael Congdon. The Hopvine Pub, Seattle, Washington, olive oil, garlic, Chablis, Vegetable, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano, fresh sage, India Red Chili, Tellicherry black peppercorn, French sea salt
 heavy whipping cream,
croutons, Gruyere cheese, nutmeg

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