Poached Garlic Soup with Thyme and Red Pepper Creams

Ingredients

• 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 12 heads garlic cloves pulled apart but not peeled (discard excess papery covering)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Ingredients
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves

Instructions

1. 1
   Combine the stock, garlic, and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour until the garlic is very soft.
2. 2
   Strain the contents of the pan through a fine sieve, reserving the liquid and garlic separately. Pop the garlic cloves out of their skins and push the pulp through the sieve.
3. 3
   Whisk the garlic purée into the reserved poaching liquid and add the cream and lemon juice. Warm the soup over medium heat, stirring frequently. Alternatively, you can cool the soup, then keep it covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Reheat before serving.
4. 4
   Thyme And Pepper Creams: Preheat the oven to 375° F.
5. 5
   In a bowl toss the pepper with the olive oil. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the pepper over and cook for another 10 minutes until completely soft.
6. 6
   Remove the pepper from oven. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap; set aside for 10 minutes. Remove the pepper from the bowl, and when it is cool enough to handle, remove as much of the skin as possible along with the stem and seeds. Push the pepper through a heavy-duty sieve into a bowl set aside.
7. 7
   Whisk the cream in a bowl until it holds very soft peaks but is not too stiff. With a rubber spatula, fold half of the cream into the pepper purée and add 1/2 teaspoon of the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
8. 8
   Stir the thyme and remaining 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice into the rest of the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate the creams separately for up to 3 hours.