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Cheaper than a Visit to the Doctor’s: Garlic Soup

May 15th, 2009 · 24 Comments · Recipes, Super Foods

garlic soup nourishing traditionsOur family was so healthy this winter, I just praise God for all the sicknesses we missed out on as friends and family around us were struck with this bug or that one.  The first time I even felt a tickle in my throat was in March, and I had been talking with a friend about the health benefits of garlic, so I knew just what to do.  Garlic has awesome antibiotic and antiviral properties, and chicken broth also builds immunity, so I made a garlic soup to drive away the tickle.  A soup with SIXTEEN cloves of garlic in it…and it worked!  I can’t say I got enough sleep (I never do), and while there’s no way to prove that this soup healed my almost-cold, it certainly felt like a tonic.  I ate the soup three days in a row and fought the tickle the whole time, until it just disappeared.

Here at Kitchen Stewardship we’re currently working through 15 weeks of Super Foods, nutrient-dense foods you want to include more of in your diet.  This week upcoming will be garlic, onions and peppers.  Click here for a complete list and links to other food ideas.

And here’s the recipe for the magic tonic soup, courtesy of Emerald Green at Going Green in a Pink World, also found in Nourishing Traditions:

Garlic Soup

2 medium onions, chopped
16 cloves of garlic, peeled and mashed
2 stalks of celery, chopped
4 T butter
6 cups of chicken stock
2 medium potatoes, washed and cut up
3 yellow or zucchini squash, sliced (optional)
1 tsp thyme
crushed peppercorns or pepper
sea salt

Optional:  Roast Garlic.  Put a bulb (or two) of garlic on a cookie sheet in an oven or toaster oven at 300-350 for 15-20 minutes until cloves are slightly opened and soft.  You can scoop the garlic right out with a fork.

**Note:  This makes an entirely different soup than fresh (unroasted) garlic (I’ve tried it both ways).

Saute onions, celery and garlic (if fresh) in butter until soft.  Add chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil and skim.  (I might add carrots here too, especially if I don’t have squash on hand.)  Simmer the soup, covered, until the potatoes are soft.  Add the squash (if you have it) and seasonings and simmer uncovered 10 minutes or until squash is tender.

Now comes the fun part – puree soup with a hand held blender. You can always add water if it is too thick. If you don’t have a blender stick, you can use a regular blender, or a food processor, or just eat it chunky!

Add creme fraiche (sour cream) and seasonings to your liking!

Endnotes

img_7242Because this soup is blended, it goes down so easy and makes a great “first course” soup for a fancy meal, soup for baby (as long as they’ve been introduced to all the parts), or side dish with a main meat dish.  I’ve served it as a side dish soup with pan-fried fish, homemade rolls and a crudite platter, and as a pairing with a chicken Caesar salad (dressing recipe here).  I think it’s a great summer soup, too, next to grilled meat and veggies, especially when garlic is in season. (See more idea for including broth in your summer fare here.

Emerald Green estimates that it costs $5.50 to make, but my estimate is much lower, at $2.00 tops.  Making your own chicken stock helps this number stay low-low-low!  It makes enough to feed four adults well plus leftovers for at least another meal.

I’m pleased to participate in:

Soup’s On! at Life as MOM – a whole bunch of favorite soup recipes!

Finer Things Friday – Homemade soup is MUCH finer than a spring cold!

Fight Back Fridays – Who says soup comes in a can?!

Frugal Fridays – A huge pot of brimming with healthy goodness soup for two bucks?  Can’t beat that!

Favorite Ingredients Friday – Garlic is a new fav for me…but it didn’t used to be.  Come back next week to LAUGH your buns off at my first experience with fresh garlic!

And the Friday Foodie Fix at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang…head on over to find more GARLIC recipes this week.  You can imagine how tickled I was that the theme matched mine for this week’s Super Foods!

If you enjoyed this recipe, find more here:

Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money.  If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments.

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