Green Bean & Garlic Soup

Green bean and garlic soup is a rustic Mediterranean broth that proves a small ingredient list can deliver outsized flavor. Ten cloves of garlic simmer into a thyme-and-bay-spiked broth with fresh green beans, then a single beaten egg is tempered in at the end for body and a faint custardy ribbon through every spoonful.

The egg-tempering step is the technique that separates this from a thin vegetable broth. Whisking some hot soup into the egg gradually raises its temperature, then returning the mixture to the pot off direct heat thickens the broth into something silky without scrambling. Pour the egg straight into hot soup and you get egg-drop soup, fine in its own right but not what this recipe is going for.

Simmering rather than boiling the green beans keeps them tender-crisp and bright green. Hard boil and they go army-green and mushy fast.

Kitchen Tips

• Squeezing the garlic, as the recipe directs, presses out a sweeter, mellower flavor than mincing.
• Use fresh, slim green beans for the brightest result. Old beans go stringy.
• A pinch of grated Parmesan at the table deepens the broth into restaurant territory.
• Croutons add textural contrast against the soft beans and silky broth.
• Serve with crusty bread or pair as a starter to a pasta main.

Variations

• Stir in a cup of cooked orzo or small pasta shapes for a heartier soup.
• Add a splash of lemon juice at the end to brighten the broth.
• Replace water with chicken or vegetable stock for a richer, more savory bowl.