Creamy Roasted Garlic Soup

After two weeks of searching and trying recipes I finally found one (making a few modifications)to copy a recipe my DH had at a restaurant in Ohio. If you are a garlic lover, then this is a must for you. It's very creamy and the roasted garlic flavor is out of this world! Prep time includes the 1 hour to roast the garlic. But if you are like me, there is always some on hand in the refridgerator.

• Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4  heads garlic (unpeeled)
• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• 6  tablespoons butter
• 1  leek, chopped
• 1  onion, diced
• 6  tablespoons flour
• 4  cups chicken broth, heated
• 1⁄3 cup dry sherry
• 1  cup heavy cream
•  lemon juice, to taste
•  salt
•  white pepper, to taste
• 4  slices French baguettes, toasted
• 4  slices provolone cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut off top quarter inch of each garlic head and place the garlic heads in a small shallow baking dish.
3. Drizzle oil over garlic heads.
4. Bake until golden, about one hour.
5. Cool slightly.
6. Press individual garlic cloves between thumb and finger to release garlic oils.
7. Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat.
8. Add garlic, leeks and onion and saute until onion is translucent, about eight minutes.
9. Reduce heat to low, add flour and cook ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
10. Stir in hot stock and sherry.
11. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, then cool slightly.
12. Puree soup in batches in blender or processor.
13. Return the soup to the saucepan.
14. Add cream and simmer until thickened, about ten minutes.
15. Add lemon juice to taste.
16. Season with salt and white pepper.
17. Place one slice of toast in bottom of bowl.
18. Ladle soup into bowls.
19. Place slice of provolone cheese on top and broil on low for 3-5 minutes to melt cheese.