Veranda on Highland's Roasted Garlic Soup

By: Brooke Smith | Alabama's13.com
Published: August 03, 2009

Roasted Garlic Soup
1 ½ cups Garlic Cloves, cleaned and root end removed
4 cups Light Chicken Stock
¾ cup freshly ground Bread, crust removed
1 tsp. freshly chopped Thyme
1 large Leek, sliced and rinsed
½ medium White Onion, sliced
1 stalk Celery, sliced
Salad Oil
White Wine
Bay Leaf
Salt, White Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350’. Place the garlic cloves in a small baking dish, and cover 2/3 of the way with the salad oil, and the rest with the white wine. Cover w/ foil and bake for approx. 45 minutes, or until the garlic is brown and soft. Remove the garlic, and reserve the oil (the oil will have great flavor, use it to sauté with, make dressings, etc.) Place a heavy bottomed pot on medium high heat. Add three tablespoons of the garlic oil, and then add the leeks, onion and celery, sauté until the onions and leeks are translucent. Add the garlic and the herbs, and cover with the chicken stock. Bring the stock to a simmer, add the bread, and continue to simmer for a minute. Place the soup in a blender and puree, or using an immersion blender, puree in the pot- Be careful- hot liquids expand in a blender- do not fill the blender all the way, and hold the cover on with a towel! Season and reserve.
For the Crackers
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour, plus more a needed
1 ½ tsp. Sugar
Pinch salt
5 tablespoons unsalted Butter, cut into ¼ inch cubes
½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. Buttermilk
1 large Egg White, lightly beaten
Freshly ground Black Pepper
Preheat oven to 350’. Line a sheetpan w/ either parchment paper or a silpat mat. Using an electric mixer w/ a paddle attachment, combine 1 ¼ cup of the flour, along with the sugar and salt. Add the butter slowly and mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. A dd the buttermilk and mix just until the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly dusted surface, knead into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge until firm.
Roll the chilled dough out onto a floured surface until it’s ¼ inch thick. Transfer onto the baking sheet, poke holes in the dough w/ a fork. Brush w the egg white, sprinkle with the black pepper, and bake until lighty brown and crisp. When cool, break into irregular shapes.
Enjoy!