Provençal Garlic Soup With Poached Egg Recipes

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.

GARLIC SOUP WITH POACHED EGGS

Steps:

• Cook garlic in oil in a deep 10-inch heavy skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and pale golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer garlic to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Add bread slices to skillet and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until browned, about 4 minutes. Divide toasts among 4 large soup bowls.
• Add stock, red pepper flakes, and garlic to skillet and bring to a simmer.
• Break 1 egg into a cup and slide egg into simmering stock. Repeat with remaining eggs. Poach eggs at a bare simmer until whites are firm but yolks are still runny, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Transfer eggs with slotted spoon to toasts and season with salt. Ladle soup into bowls and top with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

POACHED GARLIC SOUP

Steps:

• Peel the garlic cloves, cut in half lengthwise, and remove the central greenish core. Put in a small pan of salted water and bring to a boil. Drain and repeat twice to remove the garlic's heat and leave only the sweetness behind.
• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat until hot. Add the onion, leek, celery, bay leaf, and a little salt to draw the water out of the onion. Cover and cook until the vegetables are soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes. Add the blanched garlic and stock. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes.
• Remove soup from the heat and cool to room temperature. Place cooled pot with soup in refrigerator to chill. Day of party re-heat soup over medium heat. Add the oregano, spinach, and cream and cook 1 minute to wilt the spinach. Transfer to blender and carefully blend until smooth *see note below.
• *When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

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.