Czech Garlic and Potato Soup (Česnečka)
A hearty garlic soup with a plenty of garlic and onion flavor, balanced by potatoes and an assortment of spices. Also known as Hangover Soup.
Equipment
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic (10-12 cloves) minced
- 1 cup onion diced
- 2 cups potato peeled and chopped into ¾” pieces
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 cups beef broth or chicken broth
- 2 tsp marjoram
- 1 tsp caraway seeds lightly crushed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- croutons for serving ideally rye
- mozzarella or Gruyère for topping optional
Instructions
- In a large soup pan over medium heat, melt two tablespoons of butter and cook the chopped potatoes until they are beginning to brown, about ten minutes.
- Add the diced onions to the pot with the potatoes. Stir and cook until the onions are translucent, about five minutes.
- Stir the minced garlic into the potato mixture. Sprinkle the marjoram, caraway seeds, salt, and pepper over the potato mixture and mix well. Pour in the broth, add the bay leaves, and bring the soup to a boil. While it’s coming to a boil, scrape up any flavorful browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Once the soup has reached a rolling boil, cover and reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for 20 to 40 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked to your desired doneness.
- Optional: For a smooth garlic soup, you can blend all but one cup of the soup in batches in a food processor or blender.
- When ready to serve, optionally top with a handful of gruyere or mozzarella cheese and croutons. Serve hot.
Notes
Based on The Starving Chef’s Simple Czech Garlic Soup and numerous other Česnečka recipes found on the Internet.