Creamy Potato Soup With Roasted Garlic

Ingredients
1 garlic bulb, cloves seperated (unpeeled)
2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 1/4 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 bay leaf
2 cups low fat or fat free buttermilk
10 oz frozen chopped green beans, thawed
1/2 cup lean ham
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

To roast the garlic:
- Preheat the over to 350
- Line a small shallow baking pan with foil.
- In the pan, combine the garlic, 1/4 cup of the broth, and 2 teaspoons of the oil.
- Cover with foil and bake until the cloves are soft and have absorbed all the liquid, about 1 hour. - Once cool enough, squeeze the pulp of the cloves out of the papery skin

To prepare the soup:
- In a large nonstick saucepan over medium heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil
- Sautee the onion until softened, about 5 minutes
- Add remaining 1 3/4 cups broth, potatoes, garlic and bay leaf, bring to a boil
- Reduce heat, let simmer for 15-20 minutes
- Discard bay leaf, remove 1 cup potatoes and set aside

- Transfer remaining potato-onion mixture to a blender or food processor; puree
- Return to sauce pan
- Stir in the potato chunks, buttermilk, green beans, and ham
- Heat to serving temp
- Sprinkle with pepper

Submitted by Erin