How to Make Aigo Bouido: 3 Soups – Under 1 Hour

Timeless Aigo Bouido (French Garlic Soup)

You can make this delicious aigo bouido soup or 2 of its simple variations in less than 1 hour. Enjoy their rich robust flavors while reaping all the perks garlic has to offer. The health benefits of garlic are many and have been well-documented, such as fighting the common cold, boosting immunity, and cleansing digestion.

The Essence of Julia Child’s Provence in Your Kitchen

In Julia Child’s book, My Life in France, she talks about how she learned to cook this soup from sailors in Marseille. She writes in her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking, “aigo bouido is considered to be very good indeed for the liver, blood circulation, general physical tone, and spiritual health.” Plus, it’s absolutely addictive!

If you are following me along on my Julia Child Picture Project as I photograph my way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol. 1, these 3 soups in this post bring us to a count of 7 recipes out of 620.

Preparing for Your Culinary Adventure

The beauty of this garlic soup is not only is it low calorie, low fat, and nutritious, but it tastes divine! This soup is perfectly balanced, rich, and creamy and is sure to become a favorite in your house. It has an intoxicating garlic flavor that isn’t too bold and, surprisingly, its creaminess doesn’t come from cream at all.

Essential Ingredients for Authentic Aïgo Bouido Flavor

• 1 head of garlic, separated and unpeeled
• 8 cups of water
• 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 2 whole cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon powdered sage
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 parsley sprigs, plus more for garnish
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• French baguette, cut into rounds and toasted
• 1 cup grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese

Tools of the Trade: What You’ll Need

• Medium soup pot or 3-quart saucepan
• Whisk & medium mixing bowl
• Mesh sieve & spatula
• Measuring cups & spoons
• Cheese grater
• Soup tureen

The Art of Crafting Aigo Bouido

Step-by-Step Instructions: From Broth to Bowl

1. Boil the garlic cloves for 30 seconds. Take them out and peel them under cold water.
2. In a soup pot, add 8 cups of water, peeled garlic cloves, salt, pepper, whole cloves, sage, thyme, bay leaf, parsley, and olive oil, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks until they are thick, about 1 minute. Then beat in the olive oil, a few droplets at a time, as if you were making mayonnaise.
4. Add the yolk mixture to the soup tureen and whisk in a ladleful of hot garlic broth a little at a time, so the yolks don’t scramble.
5. Then strain the rest of the soup into the tureen. Use the spatula to press the garlic through the mesh sieve and stir the garlic puree into the soup.
6. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve right away with toasted bread and cheese.

Mastering Techniques: Achieving the Perfect Consistency

The key to making aigo bouido thick and creamy is to make a thick emulsion with egg yolks and olive oil. This may seem intimidating if you’ve never hand-whipped aioli or mayonnaise before, but it is quite simple and quick to do.

First, quickly whisk the yolks until they are thick and sticky. This should only take a minute or two. They will still be dark yellow.

Then slowly add a few drops of oil and whisk briskly until the oil is completely absorbed. Continue this process until half of the oil is incorporated. Then you can add the oil faster in a small stream as you whisk.

Once all the oil is whipped into the yolks, it should have the consistency of thick mayonnaise. The whole process will take less than 5 minutes.

Once you’ve made the thick emulsion, temper the yolks (so they don’t scramble) by slowly stirring in 1 cup of broth. Then you can add it all at once to your soup.

Personalize Your French Garlic Soup Masterpiece

One of the true pleasures of cooking for yourself is taking a recipe and personalizing it to make it uniquely yours. One way to do this is by playing with spices. If you are feeling creative try playing with some of these substitutions and variations below.

• Swap out the dried sage and thyme for fresh herbs. One sage leaf and one sprig of thyme is a good place to start.
• Replace the sage with 1/2 teaspoon of dried tarragon or a small sprig.
• Add a bit of heat with a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Customizations for Dietary Preferences and Allergies

Not only is garlic soup full of antioxidants and nutrients, but it is also beneficial for those with dietary preferences or allergies. It is dairy-free, gluten-free, low-carb, low-fat, and vegetarian.

Since it contains egg yolks, it’s not vegan. If you want to thicken the soup without eggs or flour, add 1 or 2 large diced waxy peeled potatoes (like Yukon Gold) to the soup with the garlic. Press the diced potato chunks through the sieve with the garlic. The mashed garlic and potato should thicken it up nicely.

Optional Add-ins to Elevate Your Provencal Garlic Soup

Garlic Soup with Poached Egg (Soupe a l’Oeuf, Provençale) is a wonderful addition to your French aïgo bouido. It adds flavor, texture, and protein too.

Make the soup as outlined above but do not add the egg yolk and olive oil liaison. Ladle 2 inches of the clear garlic broth into a small saucepot and bring to a light boil.

Swirl the soup and gently drop the raw egg into the center of the vortex. Poach the egg for 4 minutes and take it out with a slotted spoon or spider. Rest it on a folded paper towel until ready to serve.

To serve, place the poached egg on a toasted round of French bread and ladle the soup around it. Garnish with parsley and enjoy!

Garlic Soup with Saffron and Potatoes (Soupe a l’Ail aux Pommes de Terre) is another tasty variation.

Like with the poached egg version, do not add the yolk and oil emulsion to the soup. Strain the soup and return it to the soup pot. Add 3 cups of diced waxy potatoes (Yukon Golds) and a large pinch of saffron to the soup and simmer for 20 minutes.

Always remember to taste the soup and correct the seasoning as needed.

Serve the saffron, potato garlic soup with toasted French baguette rounds and Swiss cheese.

Presentation and Pairing Suggestions

Serving Aigo Bouido Like a Pro

Even if you don’t have a soup tureen to grace your table, there are two things you can do to serve your soup like a rock star. 1) Place the soup bowl on a small plate. This makes a great presentation, provides a stable base for the bowl, and allows you to take an incredibly hot bowl to the table without scorching your hands.

2) Garnish with fresh herbs! Not only do fresh herbs bring bright flavors to your palette, they also delight your eyes.

Completing the Meal: Complementary Dishes

Serve this soup as a first course or appetizer when planning a steak dinner. Or if you want to keep the entire menu vegetarian, follow the soup with a cauliflower steak. To round out the meal, serve roasted root vegetables and rice pilaf as sides. For dessert, you can’t go wrong with chocolate mousse or espresso panna cotta.

Preserving the Aigo Bouido Experience

Storing Leftovers for Lasting Enjoyment

This soup will stay fresh if it is refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5-6 days. Freeze it for up to 4 months in freezer storage bags or glass containers. Remember to label it with what it is and the date it goes in the freezer.

Revisiting the Magic: Reheating Tips

Refrigerated soup is easily reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop. If the soup is frozen, thaw it out overnight in the refrigerator or run it under hot water. Then get it piping hot in the microwave or on the stovetop.

FAQ

Can Aigo Bouido be made with vegetable broth?

An authentic aïgo bouido is made with water which gives the soup a clean and pure flavor. One of the joys of cooking at home, is you have the license to be creative.

Make it with water first to give yourself a baseline. The next time you make it, try it with vegetable broth, chicken broth, or beef broth.

Personally, I think it’s best made with water.

Is there a way to reduce the intensity of the garlic?

There’s no denying garlic is a strong herb. Fortunately, when the garlic is simmered for 30 minutes it loses its ferocity without losing its delicious flavor.

However, if you are highly sensitive and you want to decrease its potency further, there is one more step you can take. This is called “taking the devil out.“

After blanching the garlic for 30 seconds in boiling water and removing the skins, cut the garlic clove in half long ways, and remove the germ. This center devil (or heart) is the most potent garlicky part of the clove that is the culprit of indigestion and bad breath.