Garlic Soup

Ingredients

• 3 heads of garlic
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces pancetta or bacon, diced
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus more for serving
• 2 cups packed stemmed and roughly torn curly kale
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 425ºF with a rack in the center position.

2. 2

   Trim the tops off the garlic heads just enough to expose the cloves. Place each head on a separate piece of aluminum foil. Pour the olive oil over the exposed cloves. Wrap the foil around each head of garlic and place on a sheet pan. Roast the garlic for about 35 minutes, or until golden brown and soft. Remove from the oven and let cool in the foil.

3. 3

   Meanwhile, in a large soup pot over medium heat, cook the pancetta, stirring occasionally, until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a bowl, reserving the rendered fat in the pot.

4. 4

   Add the onion to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. If browned bits are stuck to the bottom, add a splash of the chicken stock and scrape them up with a wooden spoon, then add the remaining stock. Once the roasted garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze it out of its skins and into the pot of soup.

5. 5

   Use an immersion blender to blend the soup directly in the pot. (Alternatively, transfer the soup to the base of a blender, and blend until smooth. Then pour the soup back into the pot.) Over medium heat, stir in the salt, pepper, kale and cream and cook until the kale is tender, 4 to 5 minutes.

6. 6

   Serve the soup warm, topped with the crispy pancetta, the Parmesan, and freshly cracked pepper.