ProvenÇal Garlic Soup Food

PROVENçAL GARLIC SOUP WITH POACHED EGG

Steps:

• Peel and slice or roughly chop the garlic cloves. Warm the oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and sage and let them sizzle a bit without browning, about 2 minutes. Season with about a teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of pepper.
• Add 6 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to a brisk simmer. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust.
• Ladle about an inch of soup into a skillet. Over medium heat, bring to a brisk simmer and, for each serving, poach an egg for about 3 minutes.
• For each serving, place a slice of toast in a soup bowl. With a slotted spoon lift a poached egg onto each piece. Ladle the soup over it. Sprinkle with a little parsley, scallion, or chive.

PROVENCAL VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot, add the onions, and saute over low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the leeks, potatoes, carrots, salt, and pepper and saute over medium heat for another 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and saffron, bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender. Add the haricots verts and spaghetti, bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 more minutes.
• To serve, whisk 1/4 cup of the pistou into the hot soup, then season to taste. Depending on the saltiness of your chicken stock, you may need to add up to another tablespoon of salt. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and more pistou.
• Pistou:
• 4 large garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 24 large basil leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• Place the garlic, tomato paste, basil, and Parmesan in the bowl of a food processor and puree. With the motor running, slowly pour the olive oil down the feed tube to make a paste. Pack into a container, pour a film of olive oil on top, and close the lid.
• Yield: 1 cup

PROVENCAL GARLIC SOUP IS OUT OF THIS WORLD GOOD

Steps:

• Bring the water to a simmer in a large stock pot.
• Break the head of garlic apart into individual cloves. No need to peel them yet. Drop them into the boiling water.
• After two minutes, scoop the garlic cloves back out of the water with a hand sieve. Now peel them (the peels should come right off). Return the garlic cloves to the pot.
• Add all of the herbs and the salt. Allow to simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes.
• Strain the soup into a large bowl, catching all of the garlic and herbs in a sieve. Return the strained soup to the stock pot and return to a simmer.
• Using the back of a wooden spoon, smash the garlic cloves in the sieve over the stock pot, pressing the solids through the seive. All of this pulverized garlic will turn the stock cloudy.
• Meanwhile, slowly drizzle the olive oil into the egg yolks in a clean bowl, whisking as you go to make a liaison.
• While still whisking the egg and oil mixture, add a ladlefull of hot garlic stock. Continue to whisk so eggs don't scramble. Add a second ladleful of stock. Continue whisking. Finally, dump the now warmed egg and olive oil liaison into the garlic stock and whisk until smooth.
• Serve with slices of toasted baguette and shredded cheese.

PROVENCAL VEGETABLE SOUP: SOUPE AU PISTOU

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and saute just until they start to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute about 1 minute more. Add the carrots and celery and continue sauteing until the vegetables deepen in color but have not yet begun to brown, 3 to 4 minutes more. Pour the stock into the pan, bring it to a boil, and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Sprinkle in a generous pinch of salt.
• Tie the peppercorns, thyme, and parsley in a square of cheesecloth, securing it with kitchen string. Add this bouquet garni to the pan. Stir in the beans, zucchini, summer squash, and tomato. Continue simmering until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the Pistou: Put the garlic and tomatoes in a blender or food processor with about 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Begin processing. With the machine running, add the basil leaves, and then pour in enough extra-virgin olive oil to make a smooth, thick, but fluid paste. Transfer about 2/3 of the paste into a serving bowl to pass alongside the soup.
• Make the Goat Cheese Croutons: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Brush the bread slices with olive oil and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and turn on the broiler. Spread 1 side of each crouton with goat cheese and put it back on the baking sheet. Broil until the cheese is warm and slightly bubbly, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
• When the soup is ready, stir the remaining pistou into the saucepan, ladling some of the hot broth into the blender or processor bowl to swirl and rinse any pesto clinging inside into the pan. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with a little more salt.
• Ladle the soup into individual heated serving bowls. Float a crouton in the center of each bowl. With a spoon, drizzle a little more pistou over the crouton and soup in each bowl. Serve immediately, passing more pistou alongside for each person to add, to taste.

PROVENçAL GARLIC SOUP (AïGO BOULIDO)

Steps:

• Step 1 - Peel the garlic cloves. In a pot, bring 1 liter of water to a boil. Dump in the whole garlic cloves, sage and bay leaves. Simmer for about 15 minutes (lid off), until the garlic has softened.
• Step 2 - With a slotted spoon, remove the garlic cloves from the water and place them in a bowl. Mash them using the back of a fork until you reach a paste consistency. Mix in 1 tablespoon (15ml) of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
• Return the garlic to the broth, and reduce for 15 more minutes. Pass the broth through a fine-meshed strainer and return it to the pot. Bring to a low simmer again.
• Step 3 - Place egg whites in a small bowl and whisk with a fork to loosen (if using whole eggs, whisk them until blended). Slowly pour the beaten egg whites (or eggs) into the simmering broth, whisking them with a fork as you pour. Do not stop whisking until the eggs are cooked and appear as stringy egg drops. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Turn off the heat.
• Step 4 - Divide the cheese evenly onto the 2 slices of bread and pass them under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted.
• For serving, pour the Aïgo Boulido into each bowl and top with a slice of bread.

PROVENCAL GARLIC SOUP (AIGO BOUIDO)

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients for the stock in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce the heat and simmer partially covered for 30 minutes. Strain the stock, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.
• Discard the solids and return the stock to the pot, keeping it at a simmer.
• Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl until thick and sticky.
• Adding the olive oil a few drops at a time, continue whisking to form a mayonnaise.
• Immediately before serving, whisk a ladleful of the hot stock into the egg mixture, then whisk the egg mixture into the stock - do not boil.
• Garnish by floating a slice or two of toasted French bread topped with shredded cheese in the soup.

PROVENCAL VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• To make the pistou: mix in the food processor the 1st 3 pistou ingredients until smooth, adding the extra virgin oil last.
• To make the soup: if using dried haricot beans,place in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a hard boil for 10 mins and drain. Place the par-boiled beans, or fresh beans if using, in a saucepan with the herbes de Provence and one of the garlic cloves. Add water to cover by 2.5 cm./1in. Boil, reduce heat and simmer over a medium low heat until tender, about 20 minuters for fresh breans and about 1 hour for dried beans. Set aside in the cooking liquid.
• In a large saucepan or flameproof casserole heat the oil. Add onion and leeks, cook for 5 minutes, stir occasionally, until onion softens.
• Add celery, carrots and the other garlic clove and cook, covered for 10 minutes, stirring.
• Add potatoes, French beans and water, then season lighlty with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, skim any foam that rises to the surface, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add courgettes, tomatoes and peas together with the reserved beans and their cooking liquid and simmer for 25-30mins, or until all the vegetables are tender. Add the spinach and simmer for 5 minutes. Season the soup and swirl a spoonful of pistou into each bowl. Garnish with basil and serve.

PROVENçAL-STYLE FISH SOUP WITH GARLIC TOAST

Steps:

• Put tomatoes and capsicum in blender and process until smooth.
• Heat oil, garlic and fennel seeds in a large saucepan, stirring, over low heat, for about 3 minutes or until the garlic just begins to slightly turn golden.
• Add tomato mixture, stock and water. Bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
• Add the fish and prawns; simmer uncovered, for about 3 minutes or until fish is tender.
• For the garlic toast: Put garlic, oil and butter in a cup and microwave until melted (about 1 minute). Brush this mix onto bread. Grill until toasted and crisp on one side.
• Season soup with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with dill, to garnish, before serving.

PROVENçAL GARLIC AND SAFFRON SOUP

Steps:

• Put the peeled garlic cloves in a small saucepan with cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, drain, then repeat the blanching two times.
• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over moderate heat. Add the leeks and sauté, stirring often, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the blanched garlic, potato, stock, saffron, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potato is soft, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
• Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor, in batches if necessary, and puree until smooth. Return the soup to a clean saucepan. Stir in the cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
• For the garlic toasts: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Brush the baguette slices lightly with olive oil on both sides. Bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Rub lightly with the halved garlic.
• For the poached eggs: Bring 3 inches of salted water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Add the vinegar and reduce the heat to maintain the water just below a simmer. Crack 1 egg into a small ramekin or bowl, then gently slip it into the water. With a slotted spoon, gather the white around the yolk. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Cook gently until the whites are firm but the yolks remain soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer the eggs with a slotted spoon to paper towels or a clean dish towel to drain briefly.
• To serve, reheat the soup if necessary. Put a toast in the bottom of each soup bowl. Top with a poached egg, then ladle the soup around it. Garnish with a sprinkle of chives and a dash of piment d'Espelette. Serve immediately.
• Enjoy with Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Chardonnay or another white wine with lush texture.

PROVENCAL SOUP

Steps:

• In a saucepan, heat oil and melt butter. Brown garlic and onion 4 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Add red bell pepper and zucchini, and let cook 4 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine.
• Add tomatoes and vegetable stock. Heat and let reduce, uncovered, 5 to 7 minutes. Add olives and basil. Stir delicately and heat a little bit more.
• Serve with garlic croutons.