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This version of French onion soup is puréed and passed through a strainer for a silky-smooth texture, and garnished with bacon and cheese. It's rich, velvety and very comforting. Take the time to caramelize the onions. It's not a quick job, and it takes a whole lot of raw onions to make not a lot of caramelized onions, but it's worth it.

TOTAL TIME: 2 hours SERVES: 6

½ cup, plus 1 tablespoon canola oil

6 large yellow onions, thinly sliced

5 cloves garlic

1 sprig thyme

2 quarts chicken stock

5 slices white bread, crusts cut off and discarded, bread torn into bite-size chunks (2½ cups)

5 strips thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into matchsticks about ¼ inch thick (½ cup)

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1½ ounces blue cheese, crumbled

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over high heat. Once oil is rippling, add onions, stirring to coat, then decrease heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are a golden caramel color, about 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, place garlic in a small saucepan and cover with remaining oil. Cook over low heat until lightly toasted and softened, about 40 minutes.

3. Add thyme sprig to onions, then add chicken stock. Strain garlic cloves and add them to the stock. Bring to a boil, then decrease heat and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Add bread to pot and let stand until soft and saturated with liquid, 10 minutes.

4. While the bread soaks, cook the bacon: Line a plate with paper towels. Heat a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add bacon and cook slowly, stirring, until it releases its fat and gets crispy and dark red in color, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

5. Working in batches, purée soup in a blender, starting on low speed and working up to high, until completely smooth. Pass mixture through a fine-mesh strainer and discard solids.

6. Season soup with salt and pepper and, if needed, adjust consistency by adding water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Ladle soup into individual bowls and garnish with bacon and blue cheese. Leftover soup, without the garnishes, will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

Slow Cooker Jalapeño Cheddar Cheese Soup

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Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Peel the Pears and quarter length wise. Cut the core out at an angle. Cut pears into chunks and place in a medium sized soup pot. cover with ½ Cup of White Wine and 4 cups of vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer about 25-30 minutes. Pears must be soft and tender.
2. Transfer to a blender and blend on low for 1 minute, then on medium for 1 minute and then on high for 1 minute.
3. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in sugar and salt.
4. Use a spice grater to season with star anise or cinnamon. Serve warm or chill in the refrigerator and serve cold.

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Rated:	Prep Time: 35 Minutes	Ready In: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
Submitted By: Jodi	Cook Time: 40 Minutes	Servings: 4

Not bad, could use more "oompf", perhaps more garlic or add some raw in later in the process. Perhaps a bit less chili as well

Roasted Garlic Soup with Parmesan Cheese

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Bon Appétit  | February 1999

Charleston Grill, Charleston, SC

yield
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 26 garlic cloves (unpeeled)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• 2 1/4 cups sliced onions
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 18 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
• 1/2 cup whipping cream

• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
• 4 lemon wedges

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place 26 garlic cloves in small glass baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake until garlic is golden brown and tender, about 45 minutes. Cool. Squeeze garlic between fingertips to release cloves. Transfer cloves to small bowl.

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and thyme and cook until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Add roasted garlic and 18 raw garlic cloves and cook 3 minutes. Add chicken stock; cover and simmer until garlic is very tender, about 20 minutes. Working in batches, purée soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to saucepan; add cream and bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat, stirring occasionally.)

Divide grated cheese among 4 bowls and ladle soup over. Squeeze juice of 1 lemon wedge into each bowl and serve.

Cheddar Beer Soup
Gourmet | March 2005
yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
active time: 40 min
total time: 40 min
Extra-sharp Cheddar and malty English ale balance perfectly in this hearty soup.

Ingredients

2 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), cut into 1/4-inch dice (2 cups)
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 cup)
2 celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 cup)
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (14 fl oz)
1 (12-oz) bottle ale such as Bass
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 lb extra-sharp Cheddar (preferably English; rind removed if necessary), grated (4 cups)
4 bacon slices (3 1/2 oz total), cooked and crumbled
print a shopping list for this recipeview wine pairings

preparation

Wash leeks in a bowl of cold water, agitating water, then lift out leeks and drain in a colander.
Cook leeks, carrots, celery, garlic, and bay leaf in butter in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to moderately low and sprinkle flour over vegetables, then cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Add milk, broth, and beer in a stream, whisking, then simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, and pepper.
Add cheese by handfuls, stirring constantly, and cook until cheese is melted, 3 to 4 minutes (do not boil). Discard bay leaf.
Serve sprinkled with bacon.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cheddar-Beer-Soup-231641

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus a drizzle for serving

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

Salt, preferably kosher

4 plump garlic cloves, green shoots removed, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 pounds (4 large) red bell peppers, seeded, membranes removed, cut in large dice

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1 pound russet potatoes (about 2 medium), peeled and diced

2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock

A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf and a couple of sprigs each thyme and parsley, tied together in a bundle

Freshly ground pepper

For garnish (optional):

Garlic croutons (toast thin slices of baguette and rub with a cut clove of garlic)

Slivered basil leaves or chopped fresh thyme leaves

Steps

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot, and add the onion and carrot. Cook, stirring often, until the onion begins to soften, and then add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes, and stir in the garlic and tomato paste. Stir for a minute or two, until the garlic is fragrant and the tomato paste has darkened, and then add the peppers, paprika, and another 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the peppers begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the potatoes, stock, and bouquet garni, and bring to a simmer. Add salt to taste, one to two teaspoons, cover and simmer over low heat for one hour. Remove the bouquet garni.

3. Blend the soup until smooth in an immersion blender, or in a blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade. Work in batches, and cover the blender lid or food processor with a kitchen towel to prevent the hot soup from splashing. Strain the soup through a medium strainer, pushing it through the strainer with a spatula or the bowl of a ladle, and return to the heat. Heat through, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve. Garnish with garlic croutons and slivered fresh basil or chopped thyme, and drizzle a few drops of olive oil over each serving if desired.

Yield: Serves six to eight

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Roasted Red Pepper, Garlic And Potato Soup
Echo Valley Ranch & Spa (British Columbia, Canada)
Master Chef Kim Madsen

Serves 4

1 Medium Garlic Bulb
2 Medium Leeks, sliced
1 Cup (250 ml) Water
4 Medium Potatoes - Diced
1 Litre (4 Cups) Chicken Stock
2 Teaspoons Chopped Fresh Thyme
2 Large Red Bell Peppers
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Chives

Place the whole, unpeeled garlic bulb on an oven tray and bake in a preheated oven at 350 for about 50 minutes, or until garlic is soft. Cool the garlic for 10 minutes, then cut it in half and carefully squeeze out the pulp.

Combine leeks and the water in a large pot, cook on medium high heat for about 5 minutes or until the water has evaporated, ensure you continue to stir during this time. Once the water has evaporated, add the garlic pulp, the potatoes, chicken stock and thyme, simmer uncovered until the potatoes are soft.

Chop the red peppers into quarters, making sure you remove the seeds and membranes. Grill the peppers, skin side up under the broiler until the skin blisters, take out of oven and peel skin. To make peeling easier put the peppers into a plastic bag while they cool, removing the skin will be easier once they are cooled.

Add peeled peppers to the potato mixture, puree either in a blender or with a hand blender (be careful if the soup is really hot as it will expand when you blend) Strain through a sieve if so desired. Return the soup to the pot and stir until hot. Serve with chives and a dollop of sour cream if you wish

This soup can be thinned with a little extra water if so desired. It can also be made up to two days before, however it is not recommended to reheat in the microwave. Refrigerate any unused portions or freeze.

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