Servings
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Unsalted butter
- 1 medium leek, white and light green parts Halved lengthwise, washed, and chopped small (about 1 cup)
- 3 medium
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus 1 cup to thin soup, if needed
- 2 Bay leaves
- table salt
- 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
- 1/2 cup Heavy cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
- Ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup minced fresh chives
Directions
- Melt butter in Dutch Oven over medium heat.
- When foaming subsides, add leek and cook until soft (do not brown) 5 to 8 minutes.
- Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minutes.
- Add garlic heads, broth, bay leaves, and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
- Partially cover pot and bring to simmer over medium-high heat.
- Reduce heat and simmer until garlic is very tender when pierced with tip of knife, 30 to 40 minutes.
- Add potatoes and continue to simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender 15 to 20 minutes.
- Discard bay leaves.
- Remove garlic heads; using tongs or paper towels, squeeze garlic heads at root end until cloves slip out of their skins.
- Using fork mash garlic to smooth paste in bowl.
- Stir cream, thyme,and half of mashed garlic into soup.
- Heat soup until hot, about 2 minutes.
- Taste soup, add remaining garlic paste if desired.
- Using immersion blender, process soup until creamy with some potato chucks remaining.
- Alternatively, transfer 1 1/2 cups potatoes and 1 cup broth to blender or food processor and process until smooth. (Process more potatoes for thicker consistency.)
- Return puree to pot and stir to combine, adjusting consistency with more broth if necessary.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve,
- Sprinkle each portion with chives.
