Cold/flu season is upon us. We came home from a week of traveling through Yosemite and Northern Nevada to what we thought was a cold. Hence a certain someone woke up with the flu. While he is laying on the couch watching bad tv and guzzling left-over V8 V-Fusion + Tea; I am letting a big pot of rich chicken stock simmer, while I whip up an old Basque remedy; a cure for all that ails you, garlic soup.
I remember my great-grandmother, grandmother, Tia and mother making this soup when I was a child. I hated it. Not because of the garlic, I loved that, the more the better. Instead it was the soggy bread that sat in your bowl. Some things should not be soggy and bread is one of them. I never was able to get past the moist, gooey bread that was cradling the sweet but pungent garlic broth; I would have rather been sick.
I stumbled upon this recipe by accident one evening when I was intending on making something else. It was good, so good, that I decided to make it perfect as well as gluten free. This thick soup is flavored with lots of garlic that is slowly cooked with olive oil, a pinch of dried red chilies and is thickened with potatoes instead of bread. The smell of the simmering garlic, is almost enough to make you well; but, as you sip each spoonful, your body starts to feel better. Stronger. Happy.
What do you like to cook when you are sick?
Recipe: Garlic Soup
1 head of garlic, about 21 – 25 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced into small slivers
3 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
1/4 teaspoon dried chili peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups of water
kosher salt to taste
1/2 handful of italian parsley, washed, dried and minced
sprinkle of piment d’espelette as garnish
Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven or large saucepan, over low heat. Add half of the minced garlic, stir and cook until fragrant, about 3 – 5 minutes. Do not let it brown or it will be bitter. Add the potatoes, stir. Add the chili pepper, stir. Add the water and the rest of the garlic, stir and bring to a low boil. Lower the heat to a very soft simmer and cover. Let cook until the potatoes are falling apart, about 40 minutes. Gently mash with a potato masher or in a food processor. Season to taste with salt. Stir in the parsley. Gently reheat for about 5 minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of piment d’espelette. Serve. Eat.
If you enjoyed this dish, you may enjoy these others as well:
White Bean and Roasted Garlic Soup with Kale and Sausage
Also, a gentle reminder, if you could use an extra $100 this holiday season, you know to stock up on garlic; jump over here for details!
She cooks. He devours. Culinary capers in an urban kitchen in West Oakland. Other half of Chez Us can be found @laudalino on Twitter. 
Denise I didn’t realize you had Basque heritage. We really enjoyed the region and people when we were there. This soup brings back memories of the garlic soup we enjoyed at a particular Refugio when we walked the Camino.
Are you eating all gluten-free now or just experimenting more with cooking? This sounds so warm and cozy – yum!
wow, that sounds perfect. i love making red lentil + lemon + garlic + spinach soup when we are under the weather. glad to have another recipe to add now! yum.
Even though I like soggy bread, I think this would be loads better with potatoes instead of bread. I don’t cook when I am sick.
I miss Tia’s garlic soup, I don’t do it as well as she did. Add Flan for dessert and you”ll feel MUCH better. It’s all the eggs.
I agree with Dana, even the most satisfying and nourishing of garlic soups could not entice me to cook while I am sick. Better to make a big pot now and freeze it for that inevitable under-the-weather day! You can never have too much garlic
Your recipe was posted.
I love garlic, and this sounds like a wonderful soup! Thanks for sharing.
This looks so good and you’ve photographed it beautifully.
I just came across your blog and I can’t stop rolling through your recipes! But then I saw this and my heart stopped. Garlic soup? Hell yes.
That’s what I’d call ultimate comfort food! When you take something as yummy as garlic and match it with potatoes and flavorful broth, that’s not just comforting, that’s heaven. Now, all you have to do is throw in a crispy, crunchy gluten-free baguette slathered with a generous piece of ripe, soft camembert.