Garlic Soup and Artichoke Crouton

My Mom came for a visit and I decided to cook something special for her.  I decided to create a dinner by adapting from Chuck Hugh's recipe. As a starter, I made garlic soup topped with artichoke crostini. For the main entree, I made baked sole with capers and mustard sauce paired with barley brunoise. Truly this made my Mom smile and it's better than dining out!

Here is a recipe for the garlic soup. This soup has such beautiful richness that a small serving is good enough to satisfy your guests. Beware! this starter will create high expectations and keep your family thinking you're a kitchen genius.

Serves 4
For the garlic soup:

2 large galirc head cut in half (use the largest you can find)
3/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. flour
3 cups chicken stock ( I made my own by boiling uncooked chicken bones).
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
salt and pepper

For the artichoke crostini:

1 can artichokes
1/4 cup olive oil + 2 tbsp
1 shallot, sliced
half a bunch of parsley, chopped
8 thick sliced of crusty bread
200 grams mild cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

Directions for the garlic soup:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a small pan, pour the olive oil and place each half garlic head facing flat in the oil.

Roast the garlic in the oven for about 40 minutes or until the garlic is soft throughout and nicely browned.

Remove from the oven and let it cook for awhile before you remove the skins from the garlic. Remove half of the oil and set it aside (this half will be used for the croutons). Mash the garlic in the remaining oil.



In a pan over medium high heat add the mashed garlic and its oil. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and thyme, bring to a boil and then let simmer for 15 minutes until the soup achieves a nice soup consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Direction for the artichoke crostini:

Artichoke Croutons

Bring a pan to medium high heat and pour 2 tbp. olive oil. add the artichokes and shallots.  Sautee until the onions caramelized. Add in the parsley. Saute. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 dregrees.

Brush the bread slices with the garlic infused olive oil ( lots of it). In another pan, bring it a medium high heat and add bread slices. (If there are remaining garlic infused oil, add it in the pan).  Brown the bread slices until the exterior turns crunchy golden brown. Remove from pan.

Top the bread slices with the artichoke topping and cheese. Pop it in the oven for a few minutes until cheese is melted.

Brush the slices of bread with the remaining garlic infused oil, garnish with the sauteed artichoke and cheese. Grill in the oven until the cheese is melted and slightly golden brown.

When ready to serve, place a small amount of soup and top it with the artichoke crouton.



Enjoy!