Delicious tangy soup, if you have roasted garlic handy the soup would be real easy, otherwise would take a bit longer to roast the garlic.  Check my tips for roasting garlic! Excellent for garlic lovers, great panacea for flu and colds due to the healing properties of onion and the large amount of garlic used.  The garlic flavor however does not overpower the dish.

Ingredients

• 2 large heads garlic (one roasted)
• 4 medium Onions
• 3 stock cubes, any flavor
• 1 bunch cilantro (or parsley)
• 1 tsp. thyme (fresh if available)
• ½ cup milk (substitute with Soy or almond milk)
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• ½ tsp. black pepper powder
• ½ tsp. salt or to taste
• ½ tsp. lemon zest

Prepare stock.  Add the stock cubes to 1 litre (4 cups) hot water, stir to dissolve. Peel onions and chop roughly, peel one fresh garlic head and chop, peel the roasted garlic and discard the skins.  Heat the olive oil and add the fresh and roasted garlic and the onion and saute 2 mns.  Add the chopped parsley or cilantro (reserve some for garnish) and thyme, cook 2 minutes till onion is soft and translucent.  Add the stock and stir well.  Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 30 minutes stirring in between.  Take off heat and strain the soup.  Transfer the onion garlic mixture to a blender.  Add some stock to move the contents in the blender and blend to a smooth puree.  Transfer the puree to the strained soup and put it back on heat, add salt and pepper powder, stir and simmer further 5 minutes.  Add the milk and heat through, do not boil. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon zest.  Serve hot with bruschetta.

To Roast garlic:  Cut off 1/4 “ of the tail of the garlic head, dip in olive oil and smear oil all over.  Wrap tightly in aluminium foil and bake in an oven for one hour.

TIP: On roasting garlic –

1. Roast several heads of garlic and store leftovers in the refrigerator for couple of weeks and use as and when required
2. Roast the garlic when cooking other food i.e. whenever you use the oven for roasting or baking food. 
3. For quick roasting – Peel one head of garlic and roast on a frying pan with a little oil till lightly brown and fragrant.