Sunny Garlic Soup

A kitchen staple finally gets its due...as well it should!

It’s about time garlic had its time in the sun. It’s often the first solid thing to hit our pan but we hardly ever give it credit by the time the dish is done. The fact is, we would be lost without it. Why shouldn’t it be the champion of its own dish? 

I return to this soup every season, but there is something extra special about making it in the summer when the farmer’s market bursts with the freshest local garlic, devoid of those bitter green slivers found in imported winter garlic. Everyone’s got their favorite market stall for this or that, and mine was Bradley Farms, run by two mustachioed partners known for their heirloom tomatoes. While eager beavers swarmed around the tables of “Big Zebras” and “Brandywine Pinks”, I made a bee line for their pungent garlic. When they retired, I came to rely on J&A Farm from Goshen, New York. I love their huge heads of sweet garlic, each filled with fat, easy-to-peel cloves. They never disappoint. And while you’re at the farmer’s market, pick up some farm fresh eggs to poach for some added protein and whatever greens look beautiful for a Green on Green market salad to round out the meal! Enjoy!

Sunny Garlic Soup

Serves 4

I like showcasing an ingredient with a long history of medicinal and nutritional properties. Garlic brings lots to a bone building diet—calcium, vitamin C, copper, potassium and manganese. And, it just so happens that garlic is a natural prebiotic that improves calcium absorption! Garlic gets its nutritional get-up-and-go from the compound allicin, which is most easily accessed from raw garlic. As with vitamin C, heat tends to lessen allicin’s strength, but we can still maintain its benefits by treating our garlic with a little TLC. Let your garlic rest for about 10 minutes after chopping to allow the allicin to “bloom.” Add it at the same time as the olive oil to an unheated stockpot and then set the heat no higher than medium-low. Once it begins to bubble, stir until it just reaches a pale golden color before proceeding. (Remember, little bits of garlic can burn quickly, so watch it carefully and act quickly when it’s hinting at that golden color.) Now you’re good to go! 

Einkorn bread adds extra bone blasting nutrients (see our Open-Faced Mushrooms and Eggplant Sandwich on Einkorn Toast ) and a pleasantly chewy texture as it soaks up the stock. It just about melts in your mouth! 

½ head garlic, about 6 large cloves, peeled

2 cups roughly torn einkorn bread, or other 100% whole grain bread

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup sherry

1 tablespoon smoked or sweet paprika

4 cups chicken bone broth

Black pepper to taste

1 handful (about 1 cup) dark leafy baby greens, like collards, escarole or kale

1 tablespoon white vinegar, optional*

4 best quality eggs

Finely chop garlic and let stand for about 10 minutes. While it rests, tear bread into rough, 2-inch pieces. Place on a sheet tray and toast in toaster oven or 350 degree oven till brown, about 10 minutes, turning halfway through. 

Add olive oil and garlic to stockpot and set burner to medium-low. Stir until garlic reaches a pale golden color, then stir in sherry and paprika. Add bread and bone broth and season with black pepper. Simmer for 10-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, till bread absorbs liquid and consistency thickens (but not as thick as stew!) and flavors mellow. Add greens and let wilt gently.

Fill a pot 2”-3” deep with water (and the vinegar if using.) Heat to a bare simmer.  Fill a shallow pan or baking dish (like a glass pyrex) with cold water. Crack each egg into a small cup before gently pouring into simmering water. Let the eggs sit till whites become opaque. Gently loosen from the bottom of the pot with a spatula if they stick. Cook to desired doneness -- the more they bounce to the touch, the runnier the yolk will be. (A fair amount of bounce will render the runny, yolky goodness seen in the photo, while a gentle bounce will set a yolk with firm but custardy texture). Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs and gently place in the cold water to stop the cooking. Hold till serving time. Ladle hot soup into a bowl, then gently top each serving with an egg.

*White vinegar is standard, but not necessary when cooking poached eggs because it helps the whites stay together. 

Credits: Voice/Prop Styling, Francine Matalon-Degni; Photographer, Julie Benedetto; Food Stylist/Recipe Developer, Leslie Orlandini; Editor, Sarah Marie Degni; Logo Designer, Zoe Miolla