Roasted Garlic Soup with Potato and Fennel

Servings: 8

Ingredients:
3 each large heads garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, peeled and sliced (Spanish yellow)
1 small potato, washed and sliced (Yukon Gold)
1 small bulb fennel, sliced
6 tablespoon butter
1 quart chicken broth or stock (hot)
1 tablespoon salt
-- White pepper to taste
6 tablespoons butter (cut into small cubes)

Directions:
Toss the garlic heads in olive oil and lay them in a baking dish on top of foil with 1 tablespoon water. Cover with an additional sheet of foil, and bake in a 400 degree oven until tender and soft (about 45 minutes to an hour). Remove the head of the garlic, squeeze out the cloves and reserve.
In a medium-size pot, melt the butter and sweat the onion, potato and fennel over low heat. Add the roasted garlic and continue to cook over low heat until vegetables are translucent and soft.
Add the chicken broth and bring the mixture up to a boil. Blend the mixture with an immersion blender, or in small batches using a bar blender. Add cold butter while blending and adjust seasoning. Be sure to blend each batch for at least one full minute. Strain the soup through a fine mesh strainer.