Description
Country French Garlic Soup is a comforting and creamy soup that beautifully melds the robust flavors of garlic, thyme, and potatoes with a rich base of chicken broth, milk, and cream. Topped with crispy toasted baguette slices and melted Gruyère cheese, this rustic soup offers a perfect harmony of textures and deep, savory flavors, ideal for warming up in cooler weather.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Creamy Additions
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon butter
Toppings
- 2 slices French baguette, toasted
- 1/4 cup grated Gruyère cheese
Instructions
- Heat the Olive Oil: In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat to prepare the base for sautéing.
- Sauté Onions: Add the chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes until softened and translucent, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking or browning excessively.
- Add Garlic: Stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute, ensuring constant stirring to prevent the garlic from burning and becoming bitter.
- Add Vegetables and Herbs: Incorporate the diced potatoes, chopped thyme, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper, mixing well to evenly distribute flavors.
- Pour in Broth: Add the chicken broth to the pot, making sure all ingredients are fully immersed in the liquid.
- Bring to Boil: Turn up the heat to bring the soup mixture to a rolling boil.
- Simmer: Reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Remove Bay Leaf: Take the pot off the heat and carefully discard the bay leaf to avoid a bitter taste.
- Blend Soup: Use an immersion blender directly in the pot to puree the soup to a smooth consistency for a velvety texture.
- Alternate Blending Method: If preferred, transfer the soup in batches to a regular blender, puree until smooth, and return the blended soup to the pot.
- Add Dairy: Stir in the whole milk and heavy cream until fully incorporated, enriching the soup’s creaminess.
- Warm Soup: Place the pot back on the stove over medium heat and gently warm the soup without letting it boil, preserving the dairy’s texture.
- Melt Butter: In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat in preparation for toasting baguette slices.
- Toast Baguette: Add the toasted French baguette slices to the skillet and cook them for 2 minutes on each side until they become crispy and golden brown.
- Serve Soup: Ladle the warm soup into serving bowls, adding a toasted baguette slice on top of each bowl.
- Add Cheese: Sprinkle grated Gruyère cheese over the soup and baguette so it melts slightly into the hot soup.
- Enjoy: Serve immediately while hot to enjoy the rich, creamy flavors and contrasting textures.
Notes
- For a vegetarian version, substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth.
- Be careful not to burn the garlic during sautéing as it can turn bitter.
- Using an immersion blender is easier and less messy than transferring hot soup to a blender.
- To intensify garlic flavor, roast garlic cloves before adding them to the soup.
- Gruyère can be substituted with Emmental, Swiss cheese, or mozzarella for similar melting quality.
- Use day-old baguette for better toasting results and crunch.
