Commonly called tourin, this soup requires a series of technical procedures. You may be unfamiliar with instructions such as bundling herbs to flavor the base, or whisking egg yolks with vinegar to thicken the soup. However, you won’t regret getting comfortable with these steps, because they have broad utility. They’re not dissimilar from the procedures for making a classic egg drop soup!
Ingredients
Serves 4, cooking time approximately 1 hour
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- Whole head of garlic, plus three separate cloves sliced
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- Salt and pepper
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- Baguette, for serving
Procedures
- Peel the whole head and three cloves of garlic. This is accomplished most quickly by using two bowls of the same size; break apart the head of garlic and toss all the cloves in one of the bowls. Holding both bowls together, shake vigorously for about 30 seconds. The papery skin should be loosened, if not completely peeled off. Setting aside the additional three cloves, thinly slice all of the garlic.
- Add the olive oil to a large soup pot over medium-high heat, then add the onion and saute for 5 minutes or until translucent. Make sure not to let the onions brown.
- Next, add the sliced garlic of the whole head; make sure to reserve the other three, sliced cloves to fry for garnish. Saute for 3 minutes, until cooked but not browned.
- Add the flour and stir the onion and garlic to coat. Then add the vegetable broth. Bring the pot to a boil.
- Wrap the twigs of thyme into a bundle with thread. Tie this to the handle of the pot, and place in the soup. Season it with salt and pepper, turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- While the soup is cooking, fry the 3-cloves-worth of sliced garlic to top the soup. Set on a paper towel when done.
- Separate the egg whites from the yolks, placing each in a small bowl. Whisk the yolks with the vinegar.
- When the soup has cooked for 30 minutes, remove the thyme bundle. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup, or else let cool before blending in batches with a regular blender. If you let the soup cool, let it warm again on medium heat.
- Take the bowl of egg whites and beat it with fork, before slowly drizzling it into the soup whilst whisking.
- Remove the pot from heat, and then do the same with the yolk and sherry vinegar mixture. Make sure to continuously whisk the soup so it doesn’t curdle.
- Serve topped with the crispy pieces of garlic and some baguette!
Make sure you get a freshly-made baguette or loaf of rustic bread to accompany this soup, because together, they make a perfect light lunch.
Aside from being delicious, tourin is a stellar way to appreciate the health benefits of garlic. It’s antimicrobial, so it can help you recover from mild illness. Garlic is a prebiotic, so it’s good for your gut, and it also wards off vampires! You can find out more about all the ways to prepare garlic at this link.
