Garlic Bread Soup

There's a bug in my house.  No, I don't mean the creepy, crawly multi-legged bug.  Although, this one does creep.  It bit my son first, then my daughter, then crept up to my husband, bit him, and then reared it's ugly head to me.  It's a cold.  A low, down dirty rotten cold.  It has taken my house hostage, we are infested.  I have spent the last 3 days clinging to my bed, and jammies.  Today, I woke up with a little spark.  Not enough to get up and clean the toy tornado that has been going through the house unchecked for the past few days, but enough to make some chicken soup to cure what ails us.  Chicken soup?  I know, the title of this post is Garlic Bread Soup.  Well, it's both.  I love this soup.  It fills me up, it clears out my sinuses while I'm making it.  It's cheap.  It's easy, and it's comforting.  Tuck this recipe away for the day that you feel lousy, or the day that you want to impress somebody with your incredible soup making skills.  Really,  it's so easy, they'll never know.

A warning: for those of you who have texture issues, cannot stand crackers in your soup, or refuse to dip a bread roll in your soup, stop reading now.  Go find something else to make.  For the rest of you...

The key ingredient in this soup is the bread.  Be sure to use a good quality crusty bread.  I prefer to dry mine out in the oven after I have cut it, but this is not absolutely necessary if you are short on time.  However, if you do this, do not toast the bread, just dry it out.  Toasting will significantly change the flavor of this soup.  As will allowing the garlic to brown.  I cannot stress this enough!  Do NOT allow the garlic to brown. You will end up with a soup that has a burnt flavor to it.  I like to press my garlic, however, you can also mince it.  The idea is to release as much garlic flavor as possible.  If you don't like so much garlic, only put in half.  You'll still have excellent garlic flavor.  Also, if you prefer not to use so much stock, add 2 cups of water, and some bouillon.



Garlic Bread Soup

4 Cups crusty bread
3 TB extra virgin olive oil
8 garlic cloves, pressed or mashed, with 1/2 tsp salt
6 Cups chicken stock or broth
1 bay leaf
3 large eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste
parsley for garnish



Heat oil in  a medium saucepan over medium low heat until oil is hot, but not smoking.  Add the garlic, cook, stirring often until fragrant, but not browned, 3-5 minutes.

Add bread, stir to coat.  Stir in stock and bay leaf.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, simmer for 15 minutes.

Discard the bay leaf.  Stir in eggs.  Cook, stirring occasionally with a fork to break up the eggs, about 10 minutes.  Garnish with parsley if desired.