Betty Jayne’s Garlic Soup
With comments by Plum Creek Garlic customer Jeff Sindelar
This recipe originally came from a Gilroy, CA garlic festival cookbook
4 tablespoons olive oil
30 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled and chopped
2 cans chicken broth, about 1 quart
2 cups water
2 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans or white kidney beans
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
2 bay leaves
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup whipping cream (or ½ and ½ cream)
12 slices French bread
parmesan cheese, grated
In saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until soft and golden. Add chicken broth, water, beans, salt, pepper, bay leaves and jalapeno pepper. Simmer 5 minutes.
Pour into blender and puree. Return to saucepan. Stir in cream and heat through.
Toast bread lightly. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and broil 3 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly. Serve toast in soup.
Makes 8 cups
Notes from Jeff Sindelar: If beans soak up too much of the liquid the soup will become like mashed potatoes. Add another quart of chicken stock or other liquid as needed. Consider using two stock pots as it is easier to transfer with a ladle to the blender and back to the second pot instead of using a sauce pan. Remember not to fill the blender too full with hot liquid; it will expand and erupt!