Garlic soup

Name: Garlic soup
Ingredients: 4 large or medium heads of garlic with the skins on; 100 ml olive oil or 60 ml olive oil; 50 g sour cream (optional); 3-4 tablespoons flour; 1000 ml vegetable or chicken stock or water; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper; 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 4 sprigs fresh thyme; 150 g Kalamata or green olives; 15 g parsley

Soups - Garlic soup by Clara P. - Recipia

Garlic soup starts with heads roasted at 180 °C, browned on the cut side and soft inside. With concentrated stock, thyme, olives and parsley, it turns into a golden cream, like finely puréed potato soup, but with the garlic front and center. I chop the olives fairly small, so there are a few in every spoonful. Prep: 20 minutes. Cook: 41 minutes. Total time: 61 minutes. Serves: 4. About 360 kcal and 5 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

4 large or medium heads of garlic with the skins on
100 ml olive oil or 60 ml olive oil
50 g sour cream (optional)
3-4 tablespoons flour
1000 ml vegetable or chicken stock or water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 4 sprigs fresh thyme
150 g Kalamata or green olives
15 g parsley

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Pour the oil into a baking dish. 2. Cut the garlic heads in half horizontally, without peeling them. Arrange the 8 halves cut side down in the oil and place half the thyme beside them. 3. Roast the garlic for 15 minutes, until browned on the cut side and the skin lifts easily. 4. Loosen the cloves with the blade of a knife if they have stuck, and transfer them to a 1.5-2 liter pot. Strain the oil. For the version without cream, set aside 3 tablespoons for serving; for the version with cream, use 60 ml of oil and pour it all over the garlic. 5. Add the flour, salt and white pepper. Mash the garlic with a potato masher and stir until you have as smooth a paste as possible. 6. Cook the paste over low heat for 1 minute, stirring. 7. Pour in the hot stock or water and add the other half of the thyme. Stir. 8. Simmer very gently for 25 minutes, until slightly thickened. 9. Remove the thyme and adjust the salt and pepper. 10. Dice the olives finely and chop the parsley. If using cream, mix it with 6-7 tablespoons of hot soup. Ladle the soup into bowls, alternating 1/2 small ladle of soup and 1/3 ladle of the cream mixture, then sprinkle with the olives and parsley. For the version without cream, drizzle with the reserved oil.

Notes

Keep a slice of toast beside the bowl, ready to tear and dip into the soup. For the dairy-free version, use 100 ml of oil and set aside 3 tablespoons for drizzling; with cream, use the 60 ml of oil. Small heads may brown faster than large ones, so keep an eye on the color of the cut sides. Concentrated stock gives the soup more depth than water. If the olives are very salty, taste the soup before adding more salt. I used dried thyme instead of fresh sprigs. Keep the soup in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the soup still thin or floury?

The garlic and oil need to be mashed into a smooth paste before the flour goes in. If the soup still seems too thin, let it simmer over low heat for another 5 minutes.

Can I use green olives?

Yes, green olives work too. Kalamata olives have a more intense flavor, while green olives make the topping more subtle.

How do I make the cream stripes in the bowl?

Alternate 1/2 small ladle of soup with 1/3 ladle of the cream mixture, pouring each portion into the center of the previous one.