Creamy Garlic Soup

I was introduced to this soup by Donnalynn Bayet, a knitting buddy who spent years in France, Greece, and Spain. We share a love of garlic cooked slowly and gently into a warm, soft flavor base. I have adapted her recipe to be dairy-free and it is naturally vegetarian and gluten-free. The key here is NOT to brown the garlic; if you do, it will taste bitter no matter how long you cook it. Also, be sure to use fresh, not bottled, garlic.

This recipe takes ten minutes prep and 20 minutes at the simmer; this quantity serves four.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp light olive oil or Earth Balance vegan spread
2 Tbsp crushed garlic – between six and ten large cloves
2 Tbsp cornstarch
4 cups vegetarian broth – I like to use Better than Bouillon made up with hot water
1 cup raw cashews, soaked and drained
½ tsp smoked paprika
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

Method:

Several hours beforehand, soak the raw cashews in a little hot water.
When ready to start the soup, place a 2-3 quart heavy pan over medium-low heat. Add the oil or vegan spread, then sauté the garlic very gently for three minutes. Do not let the garlic get brown or scorched.
Gradually add three cups of broth and the paprika to the pan; bring to the simmer.
In a separate small bowl, mix the cornstarch with a little water until it makes a smooth paste.
Add the other cup of broth and the cashews to a food processor or Nutri-Bullet; process until perfectly smooth. Add the cornstarch mixture to the cashews and process again. Sitting constantly, add the cashew cream to the soup pot. Simmer very gently for 20 minutes total, stirring occassionally. Taste, and add salt and pepper to taste.
In a small bowl, beat the egg and add ½ cup hot soup. Mix well, and pour gently back into the hot soup, stirring constantly. Serve immediately.

This soup can be made a day or so in advance apart from adding the egg.

Here is the .pdf file for Creamy Garlic Soup. Also check out the Basque Garlic Soup!