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Country French Garlic Soup

Country French garlic soup (soupe à l'ail) simmers peeled garlic heads until completely tender, then blends into a silky broth. Tempered egg yolk and cream add body, finished with broiled baguette and melted Gruyère.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 36 minutes
Total Time 51 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: French
Calories: 450
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Soup
  • 3 whole heads garlic, cloves separated and peeled
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 6 cup chicken broth
  • 4 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 0.25 cup heavy cream
  • 0.25 Salt and black pepper to taste
For Serving
  • 4 crusty baguette, toasted slices
  • 1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
  • 1 Fresh thyme leaves, for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 immersion blender

Method
 

Melt butter and cook garlic
  1. In a large pot, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat until the butter foams lightly.
  2. Add the peeled garlic cloves and cook gently for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until golden and soft (do not let them brown too dark).
Simmer the soup
  1. Pour in the chicken broth, add the thyme sprigs and bay leaf, and bring to a simmer.
  2. Simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, until the garlic is completely tender.
Blend and thicken
  1. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf, then blend the soup until smooth using an immersion blender.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the heavy cream, then slowly whisk in a ladle of hot soup to temper.
  3. Stir the tempered mixture back into the pot and warm gently over low heat, without boiling, until slightly thickened.
  4. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Serve with baguette and Gruyère
  1. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with a toasted baguette slice and shredded Gruyère.
  2. Broil for 1–2 minutes until the cheese is bubbly, then garnish with fresh thyme and serve hot.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the heat at a gentle simmer and warm only on low after adding the tempered egg yolk to prevent curdling. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; rewarm gently, and do not boil. Freezing is not recommended because the creamy egg mixture can separate. For a dairy-light option, use reduced-fat cream and a lower-fat Gruyère alternative (texture may be slightly less silky).