Garlic Soup
This hearty garlic soup is a comforting blend of rich flavors and simple ingredients. This soup offers a delicious depth of flavor with a base of minced garlic, potatoes, and onions simmered in a savory broth. Served in sourdough bread bowls with homemade croutons and optional grated cheese, it’s a warm and satisfying meal for any day.
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When your fall-planted garlic is ready to harvest, make garlic soup with it first.
I’ve eaten garlic soups like this one in Austria, Czechia, and Slovakia. It’s my version of a recipe that is common across Central Europe. I love to serve this in a hollowed-out bread bowl and then use the extra bread to make homemade croutons for the soup. It makes it a whole meal and is very pretty to serve.
My mother always made soup like this when we were sick —when she wasn’t forcing raw garlic down our throats instead, and some people consider it a hangover cure, but I don’t know anyone making soup with a hangover?!
If you love soups, stews, and bone broth as much as I do, check out these other recipes: chicken noodle soup, liver dumpling soup, grah bean soup, and German split pea soup.
Ingredients (Any Notes, Variations, & Substitutions
- Cheese: My favorite cheeses to use are Gruyère, Cheddar, or Parmesan.
- Chicken Stock: Homemade chicken bone broth is always best. Nothing gives soup depth and body (and collagen) like real bone broth. High-quality storebought versions exist but can be expensive. You can also use a stock cube and water. I’ve also made this soup with beef bone broth and it is a lovely thing!
- Bread: Using a boule of bread as a bowl is obviously optional. Regular bowls still work.
- Garlic: This recipe salutes the minced garlic. Feel free to roast your garlic (instructions provided in the recipe card) or use a combination of sauteed and roasted.
- More Vegetables: Feel free to add more vegetables like celery, lovage, or carrots.
Step-by-Step Instructions (Key Recipe Process Photos Included)
Step 1: To prepare the bread bowls, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Cut off the tops of the sourdough loaves and hollow out the insides to create bowls, setting the removed bread pieces aside.
Cut these reserved pieces into small cubes, toss them with melted butter or olive oil, add a pinch of salt, and spread them on a baking sheet. Bake the croutons for 10-15 minutes until golden and crispy, then set them aside.
Step 2: Heat fat or oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they turn golden brown. Next, add the minced garlic and cook for about 2 minutes until fragrant.
Add the diced potatoes to the pot, followed by the beef or chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Finally, season the soup with salt and plenty of black pepper to taste.
Step 3: Use an immersion blender to blend the soup to your desired consistency for a smoother texture. You can leave the soup chunky if you prefer a more rustic feel.
Add the prepared croutons to the soup before serving and stir gently. Alternatively, you can serve the croutons on the side or top for added crunch.
Step 4: Add the hot garlic soup to the prepared sourdough bread bowls. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley. If desired, add grated cheese on top.
A blend of cheeses is also yummy.
Ingredients
- 1 large head of garlic peeled and minced
- 2 large potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 large onion finely diced
- 6 cups beef or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons lard or your oil/fat of choice
- 4 small round bread boules tops cut off, hallowed out
- 1 cup grated cheese my favorites are Gruyère, Cheddar, or Parmesan.
- freshly chopped parsley for garnish
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper plus more for serving
- ¼ cup butter melted, for making the croutons
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for making the croutons
Instructions
- Prepare the bread bowls: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Cut off the tops of the sourdough bread loaves and hollow out the insides to create bowls, reserving the bread pieces.
- Make croutons: Cut the reserved bread pieces into small cubes. Toss them with a bit of melted butter and/or olive oil, and spread them on a baking sheet. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10-15 minutes until they are golden and crispy. Set aside.
- Prepare the soup: In a large pot, heat the lard or fat of choice over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onions and cook until they are golden brown, stirring occasionally.
- Add garlic and any spices/herbs: Add the minced garlic to the pot and cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the salt and pepper. Stir in any herbs or spices you might be using to flavor the soup, like thyme, marjoram and paprika. The spices and herbs are optional.
- Add potatoes and broth: Add the diced potatoes to the pot, then pour in the beef or chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let the soup simmer for about 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Taste for salt and adjust as needed.
- Blend the soup (optional): For a smoother texture, you can use an immersion blender to blend the soup to your desired consistency. Alternatively, leave it chunky for a more rustic feel.
- Add croutons: Just before serving, add the prepared croutons made from the scooped-out bread into the soup and stir gently. You can also serve them on the side or top.
- Serve: Ladle the hot garlic soup into the prepared sourdough bread bowls. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley. If desired, add grated cheese on top and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper.
