California Garlic Soup Fondue

Forty cloves of garlic. Yes, you read that right. And no, it’s not a typo.

All that garlic gets gently sauteed in butter until soft and fragrant, then simmered with chicken broth and a splash of dry champagne. The result is a soup that’s surprisingly mellow and deeply savory, not the garlic bomb you might expect.

The fondue part is where things get really exciting. Toasted French bread floats on top, blanketed with slices of nutty Gruyere cheese, and the whole thing goes into a screaming hot oven until the cheese melts into golden, stretchy, bubbly glory.

A pinch of cayenne and a scattering of fresh chives finish each bowl. Think of it as French onion soup’s more sophisticated, garlic-obsessed California cousin.

Pro Tips

• Saute the garlic low and slow for the full 10 minutes. Browning it turns the flavor bitter instead of sweet and mellow.
• Use extra dry champagne or a dry sparkling wine. Sweet bubbly will throw off the balance of the broth.
• Use oven-safe bowls or crocks. The high heat is essential for that bubbly cheese top.