French Garlic Soup For One

Today I'm going to show you how to take these simple, inexpensive ingredients:



and make this:


French garlic soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 egg, separated
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- S&P, to taste
- Parsley, for garnish

Instructions
- Boil whole peeled garlic cloves in water until tender. Mash them using a fork or the side of a knife and set aside.
- Bring vegetable stock to a low boil. Add mashed garlic, rosemary and thyme and lower to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.
- While it simmers, prepare bread by baking in a 325 oven until dry and golden brown.
- Strain soup to remove herbs and garlic, leaving a clear broth.
- Separate egg yolk and white into two bowls. Whisk whites until frothy. Add egg whites to the simmered broth and whisk until the whites begin to set.
- Temper the egg yolk by adding a ladleful of soup into the bowl with the yolk. Stir, making sure the egg doesn't scramble. Add yolk to the soup and whisk until thickened.
- Place bread on the bottom of your bowl (spread with goat cheese, if desired) and top with soup. Drizzle with a touch of olive oil, garnish with parsley, and serve immediately.


I love this soup because it's so restorative; garlic is a fabulous immune booster. It's wonderful for a cold day or one where you just want to kick back and relax with a simple, elegant dinner.





This is a perfect example of a dish that includes a minimal amount of ingredients but has amazing flavor. The garlic mellows as it cooks, so the soup is delicate and not sharp or overly garlicky. It's also great to have a thick, hearty soup without the addition of butter and cream; it was rich, protein packed, beautifully herbaceous and full of nutrients.