I flipped through the calendar. Was it really true? Had I had this dreaded wretched flu turned bronchitis for over a month? I hate to sound like a malingerer but the dates didn’t lie. I had had this dreaded lurgy for almost five weeks. It meant cancelling much desired travel plans and coughing my way through days and nights. I was never warm enough and we had the heaters on it seemed permanently.
And I realised that everyone else around me was sick too. I apologised for my absence on facebook and twitter and many readers responded that they too were sick. That’s when I got to thinking. Surely there’s a recipe I can give to similarly ailing readers that could help recovery. And that is when I remembered the book Myriam gave me for my birthday: “Ducasse Made Simple” by Alain Ducasse that was translated into English.
I don’t know if it was this soup and the many cloves of garlic or the slew of medication I was taking or whether it was in fact mental but I start to get better. The chemist who I consulted was amazed at the number of cough medicines I had tried. One was for a dry stubbon cough, one was for a chesty cough and one was just because neither were working! So to all of you out there with the flu, I hope you recover rapidly and fully and give this soup a try (you can omit the bacon if you are vegetarian and use vegetable stock). It tastes much better than any cough syrup ever could.
So tell me Dear Reader, what’s your best flu remedy?
Cream of Garlic Soup
From Ducasse made simple
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 oz diced bacon (I used pancetta but bacon is better as it purees down easier)
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cups rich chicken broth
- 8 cloves garlic, green sprout in centre removed)
- 2 russet potatoes, cut into chunks
- 1 bouquet garni
- Sea salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1 egg yolk per bowl (optional, if you have health concerns about eating raw eggs)
1. In a medium stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the bacon and onions for about 3 minuues until the bacon is lightly browned and the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the garlic, potatoes, bouquet garni and a pinch of salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cover and reduce to medium low and simmer stirring occasionally for 40 minutes.
2. Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor or use a stick blender and puree until smooth and creamy. Pour into heated bowls and garnish with a sprinkle of chopped parlsey and a raw egg yolk if desired.
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65 Comments | Add your own
Now , my fav all time remedy and fav soup too happens to be this elicious cream of garlic soup!!
Oh Mommys Chicken soup is a v welcome add on too!!!
Hope u feel better soon and are up and about!!
Take care and have a wonderful weekend!!
Oh dear, you poor thing! I hope you’re feeling better soon. The garlic soup sounds delicious – when I saw the photo, I thought you’d made jook!
That remedy would be Nigerian Chicken peppersoup! Not to scare you off with the name (it doesn’t have to have hot peppers), it is a broth flavoured with Nigerian spices, meat/fish/chicken and is what mothers have after childbirth, when you have a fever/flu…..Anyhow, glad you’re better
What a wonderful soup! I am a big fan of garlic.
Cheers,
Rosa
Sounds like this would be a good cure for a cold! I hope you’ll be 100% again soon!
Lorraine> whenever I am sick I make food with tons of hot pepper, ginger and garlic and it works like a charm. Your soup seems wonderful and in the same vein as my concoction … garlic is a great medicine!!!
Well if you are looking after someone with Man Flu, you will already know that no matter what you do or whatever delicious treats you prepare to “cure their ills”,they will still be PATHETIC and no one has ever been as sick as them! Don’t even try and reason with a man flu sufferer, they will never suffer in silence!
My fave flu remedy is the hot and sour soup from Mido restaurant in Neutral Bay!
I’m not sick, but I’ll try it anyway.
Deb
Dear NQN,
Even in sickness you are thinking about your readers!
Sorry to hear about your illness. I’ve had pneumonia a few times and know how horrible and painful it is to spend weeks coughing and unable to sleep. But this garlic soup looks like an excellent cure. I’m going to make some up for tonight!
Hope your recovery continues. xo
numnumnum…..that would be good enough to eat even if you’re not sick Lorraine!
)
Does one stir the egg yolk into the soup before eating and does that cook it a teeny bit as well?
Not so much me as my husband swears by the remedy of mushed up garlic in olive oil, smeared all over the soles of the feet and then cover them with socks before going to bed!
Oh yum, this looks delicious hon. My cure for flu is simple, as much drugs as I can get over the counter, plenty of sleep (with Hussyband in the spare room so I don’t keep him awake with my coughing), and home made chicken soup.
Would I be able to use those huge cloves that are around – they seem to be the equivalent of 2-3 cloves, but with lots less peeling.
I am almost looking forward to winter over here now so I can try this…being London, that should only be next week!
Oh.. I love egg on soup. Give me some toast and Im sorted.
Yum! This can’t not work right? Get better soon & kick that flu! My remedy is actually Chinese medicine. One single batch is so horrid, that my immune system vows to fight the cold if just to avoid another batch of the bitter, black stuff. If this doesn’t work – maybe it’s worth a shot.
I do garlic and chilli, chicken soups and for a cough they say rice is good.
I’ve posted caramelised garlic loaf today myself (and am currently having a piece with butter) looks like garlic is the order of the day
Garlick is the best … the more the better
I feel for you!
Definitely soups with garlic. Here it’s usually rice soup with plenty of garlic and ginger, or potato or pumpkin soups that begin with mustard seeds sauteed with the onion and garlic. I think those little mustard seeds have a lot of oomph when it comes to shifting cold and flu.
Oh, and I believe in turning the heaters off as much as possible, rather than turning them up. For me, heaters seem to exacerbate or prolong symptoms.. not sure if anyone else agrees with this! If you keep a heater on, try to keep a diffuser/vaporiser going, or even a pot of water boiling intermittently.
P.S. I have blogged about cold remedies that are working for me, including an awesome herbal tea that I can’t get enough of, it really clears the head.
You poor thing!!
I wish I could send you some sort of magical cure… the only silver lining I can see here is that you don’t seem to have lost your sense of taste? That’s when getting the flue becomes truly hellish for me – I can deal with (relatively speaking) most things up to loss of taste.
Get well soon!! xoxo
2 cups boiled water
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
6 – 8 cloves of garlic
(minced)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
drink 2 – 3 tablespoon 2 – 3 times a day
And literally watch any cold and flu simply go away
I have been made aware of another one recently using a whole head of garlic, fresh horseradish, ginger etc., but have yet to try that one!
Hope you get better soon!
I don’t like the idea of the egg raw or cooked but it looks so beautiful and cheering in the soup that I would feel sad not to have it
feels like one of those winters – we haven’t had flu but just nasty colds that come and go too regularly – hope this soup helps and you feel better soon – I once had a housemate who swore by a tea made with ginger, garlic and goodness knows what else
OH, other secret is Astagalis 8 (can be obtained from Priceline Pharmacy) and if cannot locate that, then FUSHION cold & flu (is the same thing, just different labelling for pharmacies versus health food stores)
MANY people have been sceptics, but after nothing else worked…are convinced and healthy now
Good luck!
I completely understand how you feel. I was sick for a number of weeks. I lost my sense of smell and taste. It was such a downer. Garlic has a great healing power. I always try to eat a lot of it to get over being sick. I sure hope you feel better soon. Im sure you will be 100% before you know it.
The egg is just darling!
When in doubt, try House of India HOT and can make chicken vindaloo….:)
WHOO HOO!
I’m glad to hear you’re finally starting to feel better! I took a friend’s garlic soup recipe and altered it to use roasted garlic. I’ve tried it with both chicken stock and vegetable stock, and much preferred the vegetable. Along with fresh-baked baguettes… heaven! It helped a bad cold that I had, so I will endorse the health benefits.
love the soup recipe. As a providore of Gourmet Potatoes, russet potatoes can be difficult to obtain. Please substitue the dirty variety, Sebago, as these are white flesh and starchy , therefore breaking down giving the soup the right consistency as opposed to creamy or yellow flesh potatoes (desiree , dutch cream , nicola) which are waxy and give the soup a different colour and not so smooth texture. PS aussie garlic very hard to come by. Found some at Apples on Ainsworth Salisbury
Ahh… this soup looks really yummy!! Glad you are feeling better.
Hi Lorraine
Saw you mentioned in the Age today. (One of only two bloggers mentioned by name)
Hope you feel better soon. You give cred to my husband who has been sick for a month and I was calling it a “man cold”.
You poor thing! I had a flu then bronchitis earlier this year and it wasn’t pretty. Looks like this gorgeous soup made some kind of an impact then
Ooh this looks interesting. I love garlic.
Hello darling, hope you’ll be feeling better soon – and I’m glad you liked the Ducasse book
)
One of my favourite flu remedies would be sipping cups of hot water + lemon juice + honey + cognac. There’s like 40 degrees of alcohol in there and I’m finding it kills the germs pretty efficiently. Besides,how often can you grab a drink and have the perfectly valid excuse that you’re actually taking care of your health?!
And rest, of course
Chicken soup is my cure all – this looks like a good one though
It looks really interesting Lorraine! I’m not a massive fan of garlic (mostly because Mr Kitty hates it with a passion so I rarely use it). My cold remedy is a lemon, lemongrass, ginger and honey drink which I find good for soothing a sore throat and Jewish Penicillin aka chicken soup. Best done with matzo balls if you can con someone into making it for you, otherwise risoni is also good… I hope you get better very soon!
my littlej had swine flu last year which happily transformed into weeks of bronchitis. We looove garlic and will be trying this soup soon. I think if it doesn’t keep germs away it will at least keep the germ carriers away!
that looks really good. the presentation is awesome too.. nice work Lorraine!
Winter colds are horrible, I hope you get better soon! I find a hot toddy is the best remedy: 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper and 1 tot brandy/whisky. It works a treat to scare colds away, best taken before bed.
Hi Lorraine,
I hope you feel better soon. People around me have been sick as well, and I’m kinda worry that I might catch the flu bug too. As a prevention step, I have been eating kiwi fruits or oranges on a daily basis.
Stay warm and take care!
Get well soon
I too am sick. Ive felt it coming on for ages but it finally hit mid week and im still reeling. I have to say though, that my fail safe remedy is nothing edible. Rather, I swear by a damn good sleep which always makes me feel better. After sleeping almost non stop since 10pm last night I feel almost human again!
Hope this soup works for you, it looks mildly scary with the raw egg
garlic’ll knock the sick right out of ya! i love the gorgeous yolk in the center, too–very photogenic (and tasty) touch!
Oh no, hope you feel better, Lorraine! But how can you not with such a soul-warming soup! LOVE the raw egg yolk in the middle! What a fantastic idea!
I hope this works, it sounds delicious enough to be a cure all for any winter ailments! Get well soon!
I’ve been buying those huge purple garlic bulbs lately and this looks like a great use for them. Does the egg yolk kinda cook in the soup? It would add a lovely richness I imagine.
Get well soon!
Oh god Lorraine, have been out of the loop with my travelling and didn’t realise you were so sick and for so long! You poor thing! I think this is doing your sickness dash for a very long time! Get well soon!
Nothing beats a home-made chicken soup( preferably made by mum, it’s the comfort thing), 2 panadol and loads of Vicks on throat, chest and a little in the nose. Sipping water frquently as well to flush out nasty germs and keep hydrated.
I’ve had this dreaded cold/cough for nearly a month and am only just starting to feel better. Hope you feel better soon as well Lorraine
Im glad youre feeling better Lorraine. Ill remember this to make for coughs next time..it sounds amazing and looks good with teh egg yolk in the middle.
Watch out for pneumonia!! Hope you are feeling much better soon. I had pneumonia in April (just after Easter) and the only thing to get rid of it was IV antibiotics and rest. So take care!!!!
Glad you’re feeling better Lorraine. The soup looks so warming, I’d choose this over cough syrup anytime
The soup looks delicious (although minus the egg yolk for me) as I love garlic. I also always find that amping up the garlic helps when I am feeling unwell.
My best flu remedy is a bowl of minestrone soup. I always crave this when I am feeling sick and it’s so easy to make. When I take my first sip of the soup I instantly start to feel better. My other treatment when I feel sick is lots of white tea. I think the antioxidants help.
I can sympathise, I’ve battled with glandular fever symptoms foir 11 months & have only just started feeling better now.I had a terrible cough for 4 months.What’s the best remedy, rest I think.That’s what I didn’t do.Lot’s & lot’s of rest & then build your immune systom up with a heap of Vitamin C powder, & of course nourishing food.
Sounds like a great alternative to chicken soup, my go to meal. Sorry it was such a difficult time for you. Glad you’re doing better. xoxo Mum
ME TOO! I am still hacking up a lung, tho back at work…I have been on a real soup kick (as you know) Hope you’re feeling better soon
thats nigerian’s remedy for flu&good for treating respiratory
infection.
u can prepare it as a syrup:
garlic +white onions +ginger +honey =take 1 tsp every morning.
get well soon.
So happy to hear that you’re on the mend! The soup looks delish and perfect even if your not suffering….cheers, Elaine
)
I reckon I’ll be needing this lovely soup soon. I’m feeling a tickle in my Noe. I love the lone egg yolk on top. I would squeal with glee at breaking it and mixing it up.
The flu bug has yet to catch me… though it’s only a matter of time I think. Mmmm garlic soup! I’d be happy to have this with or without the flu!
Yumm, I love garlic. I don’t even care about garlic breath. So glad to hear it has medicinal properties. When I have a really bad flu, I turn to Chinese back scraping but eating soup is a much more comfortable remedy!
It’s a bit peculiar reading about winter when it’s so hot and sunny here (and that doesn’t happen much) but I can see the appeal of this Prairie Oyster of a soup!
Waiter….look there’s a photographer in my soup spoon
What’s bouquet of garni? Where can I find this?
I hope you’ve made a full recovery by now! If garlic soup can’t help, I don’t know what else will
Mu first time reading your blog- congrats on your book to e published. My favorite cold/flu remedy is Spinach and fishball soup from Yuet Lee in San Francisco. It’s made with a very light fresh chicken broth, tried it o a whim and felt much better for it.
(Oh my- sending my regrets for typos, too!)
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