Garlic and bread soup

Once I tried to make the garlic soup in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I didn’t have all the right herbs, and I don’t know what else happened, but it was just plain wrong. There was no mellow garlic flavor; this was enough to paralyze every vampire within a 100-yard radius. I made it for The Big Boss that night, and evidently he is no vampire – he devoured four bowls as an appetizer. I sacrificed the rest to the kitchen drain gods – it was just too strong for the rest of us.

That idea of garlic soup, a strong, aromatic, rejuvenating broth, really appeals to me, though, and I decided I was brave enough to try it again for a dinner guest this week. I used herbs from my garden and homemade stock made from leftover roasted chicken, and it turned out to be a really lovely, mellow-flavored soup.

You don’t have to worry about peeling and mincing the garlic very much. I cut and smashed a whole head of garlic, then strained it after simmering. This was a simple and flavorful started to our dinner of handmade ravioli and artichokes, but it’s has been just as tasty for breakfast with a piece of toast and a poached egg. Try it.

Garlic and bread soup

Life in a Skillet

This rejuvenating garlic soup is thickened with bread - fast and simple to make

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Course Appetizer, dinner

Cuisine soup

Ingredients

  

• 8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 head of garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp fresh marjoram
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp lemon pepper
• 4 oz day-old sourdough or French baguette
• Shaved Parmesan cheese

Instructions

 

• Cut the head of garlic crosswise, then cut each half in quarters.
• With the flat part of a chef's knife, smash each chunk of garlic so that the papery coatings are loose.
• Pour chicken stock into a large saucepan.
• Add the garlic - don't worry about the peels being added to the soup.
• Add bay leaf, thyme, marjoram, salt and pepper.
• Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes.
• Strain and return to the saucepan on low heat.
• Add bread and stir occasionally until dissolved.
• Serve in a warm mug topped with Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Omit the bread to make this gluten-free.