Garlic Soup #2

This Provencal-style garlic soup is peasant cooking at its best: a handful of herbs, olive oil, water, and garlic simmered into a broth that tastes like it has no business being this good given how few ingredients are in the pot. Saffron and diced potatoes go in after the broth is strained, turning it into something more substantial.

Blanching the garlic first for a minute in boiling water makes peeling easy and takes the sharpest raw edge off. After that, the cloves simmer slowly with sage, thyme, bay leaf, parsley, whole cloves, and olive oil for a full 30 minutes. Straining removes the spent herbs and softened garlic, leaving a clean, golden broth.

The potatoes cook in the strained broth until tender, and each bowl gets served over slices of French bread with a generous handful of grated Parmesan or Swiss cheese. The bread soaks up the broth and the cheese melts into every spoonful.

Chef Tips

• Blanch the garlic briefly, just one minute. Longer and it loses too much flavor to the blanching water.
• Simmer gently, don’t boil hard. A slow simmer extracts flavor without making the broth cloudy or bitter.
• Strain through a fine mesh sieve and press the solids to extract every drop of flavor.
• Use real saffron threads, not powder. Even a small pinch adds color and a floral, honey-like depth to the broth.

Variations

• Float a poached egg in each bowl for a heartier version (classic in Spanish garlic soup).
• Toast the French bread slices and rub with a raw garlic clove before placing in the bowl.
• Use leeks alongside the garlic for a milder, silkier broth.