40 Cloves of Garlic Chicken Soup

This recipe is inspired by the classic 40 cloves of garlic roasted chicken recipe, translated into a comforting bowl of soup.  2/3 of the garlic is roasted, while the other 1/3 is simmered with the broth at the end.  I would suggest roasting and peeling the garlic ahead of time as it can be a little tedious to peel 25 cloves of roasted garlic.  As you can see from the ingredients below - it is not a complex recipe.

40 cloves of garlic
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts - trimmed
1 large onion, chopped
4 c. chicken stock
1/2 c. cream
1 c. shredded Parmesan cheese.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place 25 cloves of garlic in an oven-safe pan, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast for 45 minutes - remove and allow to cool, then peel and set aside.

In a medium dutch oven or pot over medium heat, place the chicken stock, roasted garlic, remaining 15 heads of garlic and onion.  Using a kitchen shears, cut the chicken breast in half lengthwise and place into pot with remaining ingredients.  Bring to simmer, cover and allow to cook for 20 minutes.

Remove chicken breasts and shred using whichever method you prefer.  In batches, place the remaining mixture into a blender and blend until smooth, pouring back into the pot when it is all processed.  Add cream and Parmesan cheese - turn heat back up to medium and whisk until cheese is combined into the soup - you will notice that the majority of the cheese that clumps onto the whisk has melted into the soup.  Add the chicken and serve.  Enjoy!