Roasted Garlic Soup In Sour Dough Bread Bowls Recipe

Prepare and roast garlic (see below), or crush, peel and finely chop 8 or 10 cloves fresh garlic. Peel and finely mince Vidalia or other sweet type onion. Heat butter in saucepan over LOW heat. Add onion and saute until soft and somewhat translucent -- about 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds. Do NOT brown or it will be bitter. Add sherry. Wait about 1 minute and add 1 quart (low salt) beef or chicken stock. Add sugar of choice (granulated with chicken stock or Dark Brown with beef stock). Add 1/2 teaspoon table salt (optional). Increase heat to medium-high. Allow to boil, then reduce heat to just below boiling. Add beaten egg, drizzling it in VERY slowly while beating constantly with a wire whip. Ladle soup into HOT bowls or, warm sour dough bread bowls (below). Top with a sprinkling of parsley, croutons AND a generous sprinkling of grated or, sliced cheese.

SERVE IMMEDIATELY!

To Roast Garlic:

Remove dry skin from garlic (1 medium head yields about 1 tablespoon of garlic paste). Leave skins of individual cloves intact. Cut off pointed top portion (about 1/4 inch) with a sharp knife, leaving bulb of garlic intact but exposing the individual cloves of garlic. Place garlic head(s), cut side up, in a small baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil or melted butter, (about 2 teaspoons per head). Bake, covered, at 400 Degrees F. for 25 to 30 minutes until cloves feel soft when pressed. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Remove garlic paste from head by cutting stem end off. Using your fingers, squeeze paste from each clove into a small bowl; discard skins. Mash garlic to a paste until smooth. Use paste as desired.

Sour Dough Bread Bowls: (optional)

Buy Deli Sour Dough bread loaves. Cut off thin slice from top half of each loaf. Turn trimmed side down. Cut or scoop out center of loaves, leaving 1" to 1 1/2" shell. Save trimmings for another use. (Can be made 1 day ahead.) Cover; let stand at room temperature. When ready to use, preheat oven to 400 Degrees F. Brush insides of bread bowls with melted butter. Place bread bowls on oven racks. Bake about 15 minutes until crusty and brown. Place bread bowls on wire rack to cool. Serve bread bowls warm with soup of choice inside.