Catalan Kale Potato And Garlic Soup

Ingredients:

16 lg Cloves garlic, peeled
3 T Unsalted Butter
2 ts Olive oil
1 lg Spanish onion, peeled and
-finely minced
6 c (or 8) chicken stock
1 1/2 lb Kale, stemmed, washed, and
-torn into 1-inch pieces
2 md All-purpose potatoes,
-peeled and finely diced
Salt and freshly ground
-white pepper
1/2 c Heavy cream, optional

Method:

Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan, add the garlic cloves, and blanch for 2 minutes.
In a 4-quart casserole melt the butter with the oil over medium heat.
Add the stock, kale, diced potatoes, and blanched garlic cloves and season with salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, partially cover, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
With a slotted spoon, remove about 2 cups of vegetables from the broth, excluding the garlic cloves, and reserve.
Strain the soup into a large bowl.
Transfer the drained vegetables to the workbowl of a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
Whisk the pureed vegetables into the strained broth and return to the casserole.
Add the reserved 2 cups of cooked vegetables and the optional heavy cream.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Taste and correct the seasoning and serve hot, accompanied by a crusty loaf of French bread.
1 MEYERS, Perla Perla Meyers' Art of Seasonal Cooking Simon & Schuster New York MM Format by John Hartman Indianapolis, IN Christmas Eve 1996