A few weeks ago John Rieber wrote about the miracle of garlic. He also explains the 10-minute rule and the way it creates additional benefits when using garlic. His post includes a recipe for a garlicky soup, a variation of Avgolemono.

The post made us think of ‘knofsoep’ (in English it would be ‘garsoup’) as described by author, poet and performer Johnny Van Doorn in 1988. He was known for his ecstatic performances, enabled by the use of various substances. His knofsoep, based on a recipe from Roman times, helped him through the day. The soup is uplifting, supports overall health and more specifically the liver. It is to be served with crusted bread and a glass of wine.
We adjusted the recipe slightly by using vegetable stock and adding some chives. The soup has a very mild, sweet garlic flavour (thanks to not roasting or frying the garlic) and complexity thanks to the herbs and the clove.

The original recipe (in Dutch) is available in his diary Door de Weken Heen, available for 5 euros, second hand only.

What You Need

• 500 ml Vegetable Stock
• 8 cloves of Garlic
• 1 starchy Potato
• Olive Oil
• Bouquet Garni (Thyme, Sage, Rosemary, Parsley, Bay Leaf)
• 1 Clove
• 2 crushed Black Peppers
• Parmesan Cheese
• Chives
• (optional) Black Pepper
• (optional) Salt

What You Do

1. Bring the stock to a boil
2. Add garlic and potato
3. Reduce the heat
4. Add a small tablespoon of olive oil
5. Add bouquet garni, clove and crushed black peppers
6. After 40 minutes pass the soup through a sieve
7. Use a spoon to capture all the flavours of the ingredients
8. Reheat the soup
9. Taste and adjust (salt, pepper)
10. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and chives