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Garlic Soup

Garlic soup with deeply roasted, silky broth made by gently simmering cloves and blending most smooth with a few left whole. Finish with thyme, smoked paprika heat, and poached eggs for a rich, spoonable French-Spanish main.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: French-Spanish
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Garlic Soup Base
  • 2 whole heads garlic peeled
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 cup water
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.25 tsp cayenne
  • salt and pepper to taste
Toppings
  • 4 slice crusty bread toasted
  • 4 eggs
  • fresh parsley for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 large saucepan
  • 1 immersion blender

Method
 

Cook the garlic
  1. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, then gently cook the peeled garlic cloves for 12-15 minutes until soft and golden but not brown. Keep the heat low so the garlic mellows instead of browning.
  2. Add smoked paprika and cayenne to the saucepan and cook for 1 minute, stirring to coat the garlic. Cook until fragrant but not scorched.
Simmer and blend
  1. Add chicken or vegetable broth and water to the saucepan, bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Maintain a gentle simmer for the full time.
  2. Use an immersion blender to blend most of the garlic smooth, leaving a few cloves whole for texture. Blend carefully to keep some chunkiness.
  3. Season with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme leaves, then stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning before moving on.
Poach eggs and serve
  1. Poach the eggs directly in the simmering soup for 3-4 minutes. The whites should set while the yolks remain tender.
  2. Serve the soup with toasted crusty bread, a poached egg in the center, and fresh parsley garnish. Ladle carefully so each bowl gets both broth and egg.

Notes

Pro tip: leave a few garlic cloves unblended so every spoonful has silky broth plus occasional soft bites. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently (avoid a hard boil so eggs don’t toughen). Freezing is not recommended because the poached eggs and emulsified garlic broth can change texture. For a dietary swap, use vegetable broth and omit chicken broth to make it vegetarian.