Garlic and Onion Soup with Gruyère Toasts

Ingredients

• 0.5 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 2 cups less-sodium chicken broth fat-free
• 6 ounces bread french cut into 12 slices
• 2 tablespoons chives fresh chopped
• 1  garlic head whole
• 2 ounces gruyère cheese shredded
• 0.3 cup half-and-half 
• 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 2 cups less-sodium beef broth 
• 1.5 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 0.5 pound onions spanish peeled halved
• 0.3 cup rice long-grain uncooked
• 0.5 pound shallots peeled
• 1 pound onions yellow peeled halved

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• ladle
• oven
• blender
• aluminum foil
• broiler
• dutch oven

Directions

1. To prepare the soup, preheat the oven to 37
2. Remove white papery skin from garlic head (do not peel or separate cloves).
3. Cut top third off head, and discard (A).
4. Drizzle 1 teaspoon oil over cut side of garlic (B); wrap in foil.
5. Bake at 375 for 50 minutes, cut side up, or until tender and cut side is lightly golden; cool 10 minutes. Separate cloves, and squeeze to extract garlic pulp (C). Discard skins.
6. Increase oven temperature to 40
7. Combine 2 teaspoons of oil, yellow onions, and next 4 ingredients (through pepper); toss gently. Arrange on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray.
8. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until tender and golden brown.
9. Remove from oven, and cool slightly. Coarsely chop onions and shallots.
10. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
11. Add onions, shallots, and garlic; cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
12. Add beef broth and rice; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until rice is tender.
13. Add chicken broth, and cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
14. Place one-fourth broth mixture in a blender.
15. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender.
16. Place a clean dishtowel over opening in blender lid (to avoid spills). Process until smooth.
17. Pour the pureed broth mixture into a large bowl. Repeat procedure in batches with the remaining broth mixture. Stir in half-and-half.
18. To prepare toasts, preheat broiler.
19. Sprinkle cheese evenly over bread slices.
20. Place bread slices on a baking sheet. Broil 5 minutes or until cheese melts and is lightly browned. Ladle soup into bowls; sprinkle with chives.
21. Serve toasts with soup.