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Czech Garlic Soup with Potatoes and Croutons
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Source: https://recipheon.com/en/recipes/soups/czech-garlic-soup-with-potatoes-and-croutons
About this recipe
Czech garlic soup with potatoes and croutons combines a light, clear broth with the distinct aroma of garlic, caraway, and marjoram. This version uses prepared unsalted chicken broth, without cream, cheese, or egg. The potatoes cook in small cubes until tender, but keep their shape and do not turn the soup into a purée. Garlic is added in two stages: the larger portion is briefly heated in lard, and the rest goes in after cooking. This gives a full flavor that does not rely solely on the sharpness of raw garlic. Separately browned croutons are added only after the soup is ladled into bowls so they stay crisp. The recipe makes about 1.8 l of soup and croutons for four servings.
Ingredients
Garlic soup
1500 ml prepared clear, defatted, unsalted chicken broth at normal strength for direct use, not concentrate
500 g raw firm-fleshed potatoes, weighed after peeling
40 g raw garlic, weighed after peeling, divided: 25 g at the beginning and 15 g after cooking
20 g pork lard
2 g whole caraway seeds
2 g dried marjoram
6 g fine salt
1 g ground black pepper
Croutons
160 g slightly stale white wheat bread with the crust
20 ml refined canola oil; all of it for coating the bread, without an additional frying bath of oil
Steps
Peel the potatoes, weigh out 500 g, and cut into even cubes about 1.5 cm across. Weigh out 40 g peeled garlic: finely chop 25 g, then press the remaining 15 g through a garlic press and keep it separate for the final seasoning. Cut 160 g bread, including its crust, into cubes about 1.5 cm across. Prepare a pot with a capacity of about 3 l and a skillet about 28 cm in diameter.
Melt 20 g lard in the pot over medium-low heat. Add 25 g chopped garlic and 2 g whole caraway seeds and stir for about 1 minute until fragrant. The garlic should soften but stay pale; do not brown it, as it can make the soup bitter. Immediately pour in all 1500 ml prepared unsalted chicken broth.
AI-generated Add the potatoes and all 6 g salt, bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cook with the lid slightly ajar for 15–20 minutes at a gentle simmer, until a fork slides easily into the center of a cube and the potatoes keep their shape. Do not mash them, and do not boil vigorously, so the broth stays as clear as possible. Do not add water or extra broth; prepare the croutons in the next step while the soup cooks.
AI-generated Toss all the cubed bread with 20 ml oil in a bowl, scraping the oil from the sides so it coats the cubes evenly. Transfer to a dry skillet and cook over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, turning often, until the croutons are golden on several sides, with a dry, crisp surface. Lower the heat if they darken too quickly, without adding fat. Transfer all the croutons and loose crumbs to a dry plate in a single layer; do not cover them, and do not put them in the soup pot.
AI-generated Once the potatoes are tender, take the pot off the heat. Add the reserved 15 g pressed garlic, all 2 g marjoram rubbed between your hands, and 1 g pepper, then stir thoroughly. Cover and leave for 5 minutes so the seasonings infuse the hot broth; do not bring back to a boil. All the broth, potatoes, seasonings, and fat stay in the soup.
Divide the soup and potatoes evenly among four bowls with a capacity of at least 600 ml, about 450 ml soup per serving. Divide the croutons into four portions and add one portion to each bowl only just before eating. Serve immediately so the bread keeps its crisp surface and does not soften while sitting in the broth.
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