Winter is upon us now, a perfect time to warm up with a comforting bowl of soup and dream of Spring gardens. Monet’s garden at Giverny was legendary and so are the recipes they served–Monet’s Garlic Soup a little jewel from the kitchen.
Garlic Soup is a creamy bowl of comfort. Rich garlicky broth with plenty croutons to absorb the broth and finished with a bright note of parsley. 5 simple ingredients come to gather easily, making this an anytime soup when you need a bowl of comfort.
My recipe and cookbook collection spans over 35 years (yes, cooking as a child) includes an massive amount of cookbooks, many of them provide the basis for the little jewels from my own kitchen. One cookbook I have treasured is Monet’s Table, by Claire Jones, still in print. I have discovered through the years that many artists are also fabulous cooks, typically creatives in all areas of life.
This cookbook dates back to my first trip to France, traveling and tasting food at every turn. I actually use many of the recipes at home in this book. Pictures from the Monet’s home are included with copies of the some the original recipes.
Usually I have a salad with this soup, taking to making my salads as Monet did, filling a large serving spoon with freshly ground pepper and coarse salt with a dip in olive oil, adding a drop or two of wine vinegar. Pouring the contents of the spoon onto the lettuce and toss. The salad is black with pepper and was inedible to anyone but Monet and step daughter Blanche. This explains two bowls of salad on the table. I love the pepper, a perfect salad for us pepper lovers.
This soup & salad meal is so satisfying and best of all simple to prepare. Homemade fresh croutons are key to this soup. Side note: I have been recipe testing for the Plant Paradox program for a friend, a simple swap using a non-grain sourdough crouton helps make it complaint.
Please enjoy this little jewel from Monet’s kitchen.
As always, enjoy. B
