This recipe came from: http://thebeeroness.com/2014/09/24/roasted-garlic-potato-beer-cheese-soup/
General Thoughts: Admittedly, I eliminated a good bit of the prep work by using the pre-roasted garlic. The recipe's first three steps walk through roasting garlic in your oven at home, but I was interested in saving 45-60 minutes. Once the roasted garlic was mashed, the recipe needed some additional chopping on the onions, carrots, and potatoes, but between me, Becky, and Lisa, we made short work of it. After the prep was done, the actual cooking was a snap, taking less than 30 minutes total.
*Pics 2 & 3 - Pictures from when we made it
Potential Improvements? Lisa and I had several thoughts about how this one could have been better... First, we agreed that adding some bacon would make a huge difference by providing added taste (e.g., saltiness, smokiness, and something different than dairy and potato), as well as providing a bit more texture. Second, leaving the onions and carrots a little more al dente, and even adding a bit of celery, could also help the flavor and texture profiles. Third, we'd like to see what it would taste like if we used an extra sharp white cheddar instead of the regular mild yellow cheddar cheese. Fourth, adding some additional garnishes designed to (again) create more flavor contrasts, such as some salty croutons, some scallions (aka, green onions), and a good hot sauce, would be welcome. And, finally, using a little less roasted garlic (maybe, about 1/3 less) would probably serve to help the other flavors emerge.
This soup turned out okay but was... complex. First, the good: The soup was creamy, hearty, and super filling. And, it smelled delicious!! If you like the smell of roasted garlic, then you're going to be in heaven because, by the time it was done cooking, the whole kitchen was a terrifically pleasant place to hang out. The soup also had a very strong garlic taste, which is a definite plus for garlic lovers!
Despite the positives, there were also several things that could have been better. For example, the very strong garlic taste... I know, I know, I listed that as a positive (because, for me, it was), but it was bordering on overpowering if I am being honest. I think there were two reasons for this: 1) Yeah, I used a lot of garlic (almost twice what was called for); and 2) The roasted garlic was the only flavor that was really discernable. Other than the garlic, the soup was fairly bland and devoid of any real flavor contrasts, leaving me wanting more "sharpness," a "bite" to make the soup more interesting and less homogenous. Unfortunately, the same could be said of the soup's texture, which was uniformly soft and fairly uninteresting.
Despite the positives, there were also several things that could have been better. For example, the very strong garlic taste... I know, I know, I listed that as a positive (because, for me, it was), but it was bordering on overpowering if I am being honest. I think there were two reasons for this: 1) Yeah, I used a lot of garlic (almost twice what was called for); and 2) The roasted garlic was the only flavor that was really discernable. Other than the garlic, the soup was fairly bland and devoid of any real flavor contrasts, leaving me wanting more "sharpness," a "bite" to make the soup more interesting and less homogenous. Unfortunately, the same could be said of the soup's texture, which was uniformly soft and fairly uninteresting.
Potential Improvements? Lisa and I had several thoughts about how this one could have been better... First, we agreed that adding some bacon would make a huge difference by providing added taste (e.g., saltiness, smokiness, and something different than dairy and potato), as well as providing a bit more texture. Second, leaving the onions and carrots a little more al dente, and even adding a bit of celery, could also help the flavor and texture profiles. Third, we'd like to see what it would taste like if we used an extra sharp white cheddar instead of the regular mild yellow cheddar cheese. Fourth, adding some additional garnishes designed to (again) create more flavor contrasts, such as some salty croutons, some scallions (aka, green onions), and a good hot sauce, would be welcome. And, finally, using a little less roasted garlic (maybe, about 1/3 less) would probably serve to help the other flavors emerge.
Polling the Fam: I liked it well enough (and a little more even when I had it leftover today), but I would be eager to try it again with the above-suggested improvements. Jayson said he didn't really care for it, citing a garlic aftertaste that was too intense and a little "off," but agreed that bacon would have made a big difference. Lisa thought it was "good" but that it could use some big upgrades (e.g., more substantial veggies, bacon, etc.). And, Hunter, did not care for it, saying it was too thick and had some flavor that he couldn't pinpoint but didn't like.
Verdict: It was okay. (3 stars)
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