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I came up with this Garlic Thyme Soup because someone was coming down with something. The holidays were a whirlwind of parties and excessive food/drinks and the cold weather. Someone was feeling run down and we wanted to do something a little different than just the plain ol’ chicken soup.
Don’t get me wrong…chicken soup is great for a cold or flu, but this is something different. Plus…garlic and onions have medicinal super powers. So when I add huge amounts of garlic and onion to chicken stock something wonderful happens.
Adding cauliflower to my Garlic Thyme Soup gives it a thick and creamy texture. Cauliflower is one of those ingredients that adds bulk without all the carbs or calories. I buy it in full heads or in florettes for this recipe.
The bigger chunks of cauliflower make this soup into a puree that seems creamy…but it’s not. You can of course add the cream, but if you’re stuffy then you don’t even need it.
The other thing that helped with the creation of this soup is that I HATE peeling garlic. So I bought a bag of pre-peeled garlic. You know those jumbo bags of peeled garlic you find in the produce aisle? I always wonder how anyone would ever be able to get through a whole bag before it goes bad.
Also…once you open that bag you whole fridge will smell like garlic until you use it all up. This Garlic Thyme Soup uses an entire bag of peeled garlic. AND you’re going to WANT to use pre-peeled garlic for this recipe that calls for 60 cloves-YIKES!!!
Garlic Thyme Soup is packed with tons of the stuff that zap out the cold and flu season. If you are hacking and coughing DO NOT use the cream….but if you’re just achy and need something to warm your bones the cream adds a nice finishing touch.
FAVORITE SOUPS
- Carrot Feta Soup
- Tomato Bisque
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Mexican Taco Chicken Chili
- Chicken Chile Verde Soup
Ingredients
- 60 cloves garlic peeled and divided
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 cups yellow onion
- 1 tbsp ginger fresh
- 1 ½ tsp thyme dried
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 2 cups cauliflower florettes
- 3 cups chicken stock plus up to 1 cup more to cover cauliflower
- ½ cup heavy cream or coconut cream optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350*. Place half of the garlic cloves into a small dish and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with ¼ tsp of salt.Toss garlic to fully coat with the oil, then cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake for 45 minutes and then remove and set aside until ready to add to the soup.
- In heavy stock pot over low to medium heat add the other tbsp olive oil and onions to soften for about 5 minutes. Be very careful NOT to caramelize the onions. It’s not the end of the world and caramelization does add a different flavor, but this soup is meant to be a less sweet soup.
- Add in the other half of the raw garlic, cauliflower, fresh ginger, thyme, cayenne, salt and pepper. Stir that around for a minute or so to coat.
- Pour in the 3 cups of chicken stock and bring to a boil. As soon as you hit the boil, turn down heat to a gentle simmer. Stir in the roasted garlic cloves at this time. Cover pot and simmer for 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is fork tender.
- Remove from the heat and with an immersion blender puree the soup to a smooth consistency. Enjoy!
- (If you are NOT phlegmy and want to add a touch of cream this is the time to stir in a ½ cup of cream with the hot soup…and just so you know…it’s damn good this way).
Notes
Nutrition
MEDICAL AND NUTRITION DISCLAIMER…Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nutritional break downs are done using a commercial nutrition calculator. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctorbefore starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers, this should never be construed as medical advice.