Creamy Garlic Bread Soup (Printer View)

Velvety, garlic-infused soup with rustic bread and creamy Parmesan notes.

# What you'll need:

→ Bread

01 - 4 cups (about 7 oz) day-old rustic bread, cubed (preferably sourdough or country loaf)

→ Dairy

02 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 1 cup (8 fl oz) heavy cream
04 - 1 cup (3.5 oz) grated Parmesan cheese

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

05 - 2 tbsp olive oil
06 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
07 - 6 large garlic cloves, minced
08 - 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
09 - 1 sprig fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
10 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (plus extra for garnish)

→ Liquids

11 - 4 cups (34 fl oz) vegetable broth

→ Seasoning

12 - 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
13 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

# Method:

01 - Heat olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion, celery, and a pinch of salt. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Add minced garlic and thyme. Cook for 2 minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
03 - Stir in the cubed bread, coating evenly with aromatics and fat. Toast for 3 to 4 minutes to allow the bread to absorb flavors.
04 - Pour in vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bread is very soft.
05 - Remove the thyme sprig. Blend the soup smooth and creamy using an immersion blender or regular blender in batches.
06 - Stir in heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes until heated through and slightly thickened. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
07 - Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with chopped parsley and additional Parmesan if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It turns stale bread into liquid gold—nothing gets wasted, everything gets better.
  • The soup tastes like someone's been pampering your palate all evening, but you did it in forty-five minutes.
  • That garlicky, creamy hug in a bowl is exactly what cold weather calls for.
02 -
  • Stale bread is non-negotiable—fresh bread turns to mush instead of melting into the broth, making the soup gluey instead of silky.
  • Add the cream at the very end and keep the heat gentle when you do; hot broth hitting cold cream too quickly can break it and leave you with an oily mess.
  • Taste and adjust your seasoning in the final minute; garlic and cheese can sneak up on you, so go slow with extra salt.
03 -
  • Rub your bread cubes with a cut garlic clove before toasting—it's an extra whisper of garlic that goes straight into the broth and makes people wonder what your secret is.
  • Make this soup the day after bread gets stale; if you wait too long and the bread hardens completely, it takes longer to break down and the timing shifts.
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