Garlic Soup with Asparagus and Poached Eggs

By: Elizabeth Kennedy | July 27 2011
Posted in Recipes - SF Bay Area Recipes

Garlic Soup with Asparagus and Poached Eggs
Recipe courtesy of Two Lazy Gourmets

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small heads garlic, cloves separated, peeled, and smashed
6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
½–1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
1 pound asparagus, woody ends snapped off, cut into 1-inch lengths
2 large eggs
freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
freshly ground black pepper for serving

Directions
Heat oil in a stockpot over low heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 12 minutes, until just barely beginning to turn golden brown. Add broth and ½ teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 60 minutes, until broth is fully infused with garlic flavor.

Remove garlic cloves with a slotted spoon. Taste, and add additional salt if needed. If more garlic flavor is desired, mash 6 to 8 (or more) of the cooked garlic cloves with the back of a fork and stir into the broth. Raise heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, add asparagus, and cook about 3 minutes.

Crack the eggs into the soup. Simmer the eggs and asparagus in the broth for 4 minutes more, until asparagus is tender and egg is poached but the yolk is still runny. Ladle the soup into two bowls, placing one egg in each. Top with freshly grated Parmesan and freshly ground pepper, and serve immediately. Serves 2.

Make it ahead
The soup can be made a couple of days in advance up to the point of adding the asparagus. Store, covered, in the fridge. When ready to serve, bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat, add asparagus, and follow the rest of the instructions.

Serve it with
• Toasted rustic bread, such as walnut levain or whole wheat sourdough

Change it up
• Instead of the eggs, add one 15-ounce can butter beans or lima beans, drained and rinsed.