Friday, December 11, 2009

Garlic Soup

This is a recipe that I found in a MealMaster import on the internet back when a 14k baud modem was a fast connection (this was not too long after the dinosaurs had been killed off, circa 1995). I'd gone from being single to married with two kids and just learning to cook for a family. I really didn't know what I was doing, but we thought it was really good, it was one of our early favorites.


Later that year, I had a nasty cold and my sweet bride, Alexis, decided she'd make this for me to help clear up congestion. She didn't cook much, I did the cooking, so I was proud of her when she offered me a bowl of Garlic Soup when I arose as a zombie from the bed. It was so thoughtful of her to go out of her comfort zone and to make that for me.

I took one spoonful and instantly felt every drop of moisture in my body being wicked out through my mouth. It was like I just put a spoonful of hot seawater in my mouth and the salt was sucking every bit of liquid out of me.

I felt bad but had to spit it back out. Turns out, when she made the "chicken broth" using bullion and she had used Tablespoons instead of teaspoons. Salty? Just a bit.

We got a good laugh out of it then and even to this day, we'll mention it and get a chuckle. While I still do most of the cooking, Alexis has really grown into her own as a cook. The recipes she that she does do, she does very well.

Today, Alexis has been feeling "sinusy" and stayed home from work. I hadn't made this soup in years and I thought it'd do her good. I changed several things and we both agreed that this was the best version ever.


Garlic Soup
4 appetizer servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil

3 cloves garlic, sliced

2-3 slices white bread, cubed

1 ea green onion, sliced, divided into white and green portions

4 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 eggs, slightly beaten

Instructions

Preheat a 3 quart pan over medium heat and add oil. As soon as oil is heated, add sliced garlic and the white portion of the sliced onion. Stir until the garlic is starting to brown.


Add the cubed bread and toss to absorb the remaining oil. Then keep cooking like you were making the bread into croutons. Some of the garlic will start to get deep brown, don't worry. Just toss the mix around trying to toast all sides of the bread.


Add the broth and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. The bread will start puffing up into big pieces as they absorb the liquid. Add the green part of the green onion and whisk the soup for about 1 minute, breaking up the bread cubes into a smoother mixture.
Simmer for 5 more minutes.

Slightly beat the egg in a mixing bowl. While whisking the egg, add in three ladles or large spoons of the hot soup.

Return that mixture back into the 3 qt pan, whisk, and simmer for 1 more minute.


Garnish with whatever blows your skirt up (or kilt for dudes). We topped ours with our home smoked cheddar and green onion.