Ridiculously good garlic soup with mini choux puffs

This soup tastes ridiculously, ridiculously good. I’ve already had two bowls. I’m allowed. It’s my entire lunch today.

Of all soups I like the smooth, blended ones best. I admit this was my first go at a garlic one. The idea came to me because I had rosół yesterday, Polish clear broth, and there was quite a bit left. Broth makes the best base for a blended soup, especially since there’s always plenty of veg left in mine. This time I made the broth without leek or parsley root. Bear that in mind when you read the ingredients. Anyway, in my humble opinion, of course, this garlic soup really did come out perfect. A success in every respect.

All right, I’ve just finished my third bowl (a small one, though).

My MagneSowy also arrived today. They’re owl magnets for the fridge. You can see them here. And you’ll be able to win them. I’ve decided (with a little help from Paulina) to run a sort of Valentine’s competition. Apparently Valentine’s Day is just around the corner somewhere. The contest is for a dish after which “you wouldn’t go on a date”.

Ha. Or should that be hoot hoot? NO. None of this cooking for a date, eating before a date, the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach and all that mumbling. I want a dish after which you’re better off keeping your distance. This garlic soup of mine is something of an opening bid. I’ve a feeling 😉 that after those three bowls, my breath could kill today.

So I recommend eating it on your own, or getting the whole gang to eat it at the same time. That should solve the problem. And it’s worth it, because this garlic soup really is ridiculously good. Ha!

At a glance: 

Preparation time: 40 minutes (if you’ve got yesterday’s broth)

Serves: enough for 4 – 5 people (depends how big the portions are)

Calories: the little choux puffs, I know I’ll catch it for those. Then there’s the 30% cream. But the soup itself (if you made it without cream, though it wouldn’t taste nearly as good) is surely healthy, as soups go. Garlic is a “natural antibiotic”, after all.

Ingredients for creamy garlic soup de luxe:

• 1.5 litres of broth (yesterday’s will do, made, for example, using this broth recipe, though I left out the parsley root and leek. I think that’s good for garlic soup, so if yours has leek and parsley root in it, take them out)
• 10 large garlic cloves (pretty much a whole, fairly large bulb)
• half a hot red chilli (seeds and all. If heat isn’t your thing, leave out the seeds or skip the chilli altogether)
• 4 potatoes
• freshly ground mixed peppercorns (mostly black)
• shop-bought mini choux puffs 
• 120 millilitres of 30% cream, unsoured (mine was the runny kind)

Recipe (you’ll smell of garlic, and you’ll need a blender):

Besides being primitive, delicious and ridiculously good, this soup is unbelievably easy to make. Provided you have the base, that is: the broth. If you don’t, make some using this broth recipe (just leave out the leek and parsley root, or take them out before blending).

I started by warming up my broth (it was yesterday’s, straight from the fridge). While it came back to life, I peeled the garlic and potatoes and washed the chilli. I cut the potatoes into small pieces, cut the chilli into several pieces, then crushed each garlic clove with my fist and cut it in half.

I tipped all the ingredients into the boiling broth. I seasoned it with freshly ground mixed pepper (quite generously, because I like spicy food). I simmered everything over a low heat for about half an hour.

After half an hour I took it off the heat and blended everything until smooth. I added the cream (a spoonful at a time, stirring after each one). One more quick blitz and the soup was ready. I served mine with shop-bought mini choux puffs. Delicious. Enjoy!