Day-after Holiday Blues

I think all major holidays should automatically be followed by an additional day off to give everyone a chance to recuperate!  This is a great restorative soup for when you are a little worn out and feeling punky from too much egg salad and chocolate.  It is a vegetarian recipe, but if you happen to have a leftover ham bone you can throw it in.  If you do add the bone, remove the soup from heat after the potatoes are done and let it rest on the stove for an hour or so.  Remove the bone...add the roasted garlic and 1/2 and 1/2 and blend.

Roasted Garlic, Potato and Onion Soup

~To dispel negativity in the home…after everyone has gone to bed, cut an onion in half and leave it cut side up on the dining table.  In the morning place the onion and negativity in a paper bag and bury it far from the home.

4 heads of garlic

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup butter

2 sweet onions, sliced thinly

1 tbsp thyme, chopped

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups potatoes, unpeeled and cubed

1cup half and half

salt

pepper

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Brush 4 12” pieces of aluminum foil with the olive oil.

Wrap a piece of foil around each head of garlic.

Bake until the garlic is golden brown and tender, 30-40 minutes.

Allow to cool, squeeze garlic between fingertips to release cloves.

Resist the temptation to eat the roasted garlic.

Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add the onions and thyme and cook until onions soften about 5 minutes.

Add the vegetable broth and potatoes…reduce heat to a simmer.

Continue simmering until the potatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes.

Add the roasted garlic.

Puree soup with a hand blender until smooth.

Add the half and half and return to a simmer.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.