Parmesan Garlic Soup
Submitted by SISTER17
Parmesan garlic soup simmers a whole half-head of garlic into a mellow, sweet broth, then thickens it silky with a tempered egg, parmesan, and olive oil liaison. Ladled over a crouton, it’s rustic comfort in a bowl.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
45 minREADY
1 hrsDon’t let the garlic scare you. Simmering a half-head of whole garlic cloves in broth tames their bite completely, turning them soft, sweet, and mellow before they’re pressed back into the soup.
The broth is gently infused with bay, sage, and thyme, then strained so what’s left is a clean, fragrant base.
The key move is the liaison. Just before serving, parmesan, egg, egg yolk, and olive oil are whisked together, then tempered with a ladle of hot soup before going back into the pot. Whisked over low heat, this thickens the soup into something velvety, the same technique behind avgolemono and stracciatella.
Tempering matters: drizzle the hot soup into the eggs slowly and keep the heat gentle, or the eggs will scramble instead of thickening smoothly.
Set a crouton of French bread in the bowl, ladle the soup over, and scatter parsley. Most of it can be done ahead, leaving only the final whisking for serving.
Chef Tips
- Use a nonreactive pan, not aluminum, which reacts with the eggs and can discolor the soup.
- Temper the eggs by drizzling in hot soup while whisking, then keep the heat low so they thicken without curdling.
- Simmer the garlic gently and don’t let it brown; you want it sweet and mellow, not bitter.
Variations
- Add a squeeze of lemon at the end for an avgolemono-style brightness.
- Stir cooked rice or tiny pasta into the broth for a heartier bowl.
- Rub the crouton with a raw garlic clove for an extra hit of garlic.
Ingredients
Directions
Bring stock to a boil in a nonreactive saucepan (do not use aluminum which will react with eggs which come into play later on).
Add bay leaf, sage, thyme and garlic cloves and cook, covered, at a bare simmer for 30 minutes.
Strain broth and discard herbs; pass and press garlic th rough to liquid and season to taste with salt.
In a mixing bowl combine the cheese with egg and yolk, olive oil and pepper to taste.
Everything can be done in advance up to this point.
Just before serving, reheat the soup and drizzle a ladleful of hot soup into the egg and oil mixture to temper the eggs.
Pour this tempered mixture bac k into the soup and whisk continuously over low heat until the soup thickens slightly.
Take care not to over heat or the eggs will curdle.
Set a piece of French bread crouton in center of soup plate and ladle soup over the top.
Garnish with parsley.
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