Garlic Soup

Right after college I worked as a performer on cruise ships for about 5 years. 2 of those summers were spent touring Alaska. That's where I discovered one of my favorite restaurants of all time, "Ludvig's Bistro." It's a little hole in the wall in Sitka, Alaska, and it's named after the chef's dog. They serve rustic mediterranean fare. Some of the most wonderful, simply delicious dishes I've ever had.

I remember sitting in a window seat at the restaurant one day watching the bay. I watched this fisherman walk with a giant salmon in his arms from his boat, into the restaurant, where he plopped it down on the counter. The chef paid him for the fish and promptly started preparing it in the kitchen. Talk about fresh seafood!

One of my favorite dishes (actually they were all my favorites, I literally tried everything on the menu) was the "French Garlic Soup." It was a variation on French Onion Soup, only made with garlic. It was a homemade clear vegetable broth made with veggies and herbs. Then, they added in a ton of whole cloves of garlic, which simmered in the pot with it until they were soft and mild. Then, a big piece of crusty bread was placed in the center of the bowl and a hunk of gruyere cheese was melted in the oven over the top. This soup was to die for, and it is so good for you too. Garlic does all kinds of wonderful things for the body. This weekend I discovered that this soup is the cure for the common cold.

So, here's my attempt to copy the recipe. My boyfriend made the suggestion of cutting the bread up into little croutons to make it easier to spoon up. I tried it on a second batch I made last night and it was a great addition.

Kim's Imitation of Ludvig's Bistro's French Garlic Soup

4 cans Swanson's Vegetable Broth
about 3/4 cup white wine
3 bulbs of garlic, skin and tough ends removed (about 30 cloves. It should almost cover the bottom of a big soup pot)
olive oil, a generous dash (about 2 Tbsp.)
crusty French bread
gruyere cheese

Put the broth, the wine, the garlic cloves, and olive oil in a big soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer at medium low to low for about 40 minutes to an hour, until the smell of the soup has become mild and the cloves are soft and easily mushed. Next, cut the bread into cubes. Put in oven at 350 degrees for about 5 miutes, then turn them over, top the croutons with grated gruyere cheese. Put back in the oven at 350 degrees for about 6 minutes or until the cheese is just melted. Ladle the soup, cloves and all, into a bowl. At the restaurant each bowl was served with about 4-5 cloves in it. Top with the cheesy croutons and eat while it's hot.

Enjoy!