Garlic Egg Soup

This is the kind of soothing, restorative bowl cooks across the Mediterranean reach for when they need a pick-me-up, and a whole head of garlic is the star here, not the seasoning. Simmered slowly in chicken broth, the garlic loses its raw bite and turns sweet and mellow, then gets strained smooth so the soup tastes deeply of garlic without any harsh edges.

Cardamom pods steeped in the broth add a warm, faintly floral note you won’t see coming.

The richness comes from eggs, used two ways. Yolks whisked with a little olive oil and tempered with hot broth thicken the soup into something silky, while the whites get drizzled in a thin stream just before serving, setting into delicate ribbons the moment they hit the hot liquid.

A squeeze of lime at the end cuts the richness and wakes the whole bowl right up.

Chef Tips

• Temper the yolks first: whisk in a ladle of hot broth before adding them to the pot, or they will scramble.
• Keep the broth at a gentle simmer, never a hard boil, once the eggs go in.
• Swirl the broth into a whirlpool, then pour the whites in slowly for the prettiest ribbons.
• Strain the garlic and onion well, or give them a quick blitz in the processor, for a smooth, velvety base.

Variations

• Stir in stale bread or croutons to make it a more filling country-style garlic soup.
• Finish with grated Parmesan or a dusting of smoked paprika.
• Use vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian.