My parents are visiting from Florida, just recovering from the flu, and the weather here in the American Northeast has turned chilly, so I’ve been searching for a warming, restorative soup that would make them feel cozy and well. This is what we came up with–a savory, fragrant soup with lots of healthy garlic and some smoky chiles for flavor and heat.

We hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Here’s the simple recipe:

INGREDIENTS

3 whole heads of garlic (it sounds like a lot, but roasting it mellows it beautifully)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
8 cups vegetable stock
1 (or 2, if you like heat) dried chipotle chiles
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Sea salt to taste
Juice of 1/2 lime
Strips of toasted tortilla and avocado slices, for optional garnish

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Brush garlic heads lightly with some of the oil, place them on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes, until very soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool until you can handle them, then peel each clove and reserve.

2. In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, saute onion in 1 tablespoon of oil until it is golden and softened. Puree in blender along with reserved garlic, adding stock as needed to make a smooth blend.

3. Heat remaining oil in pot over high heat and add puree from blender, stirring until it begins to turn a bit darker. Add remaining stock, chile peppers, cumin, and salt to taste, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Remove soup from heat, add lime juice, and stir to combine. Place tortilla strips and avocado slices, if using, in individual soup bowls, and ladle soup on top. Serve hot.

Serves 6 to 8.