top of page
Writer's pictureCulinary Cam

Aïgo Bouido (Provençal Garlic Soup)

Updated: Mar 26

This is part of our 2024 project: The Alphabet Challenge. Hosted by Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. I thought this would be a fun culinary adventure. We will be posting every two weeks. I hope you follow along...or join in as you can. This will be a delicious blast!



G is for...



As for me, I instantly knew that 'g was for garlic' because I love it so much! But it was so tough to decide what to share. I love garlic. All kinds of garlic. Green garlic, black garlic, elephant garlic, regular garlic. I use so much garlic, Jake sometimes asks if I can tone it down. "Maybe you don't have to use enough to scare away an entire colony of vampires this time," he suggests cautiously. He definitely wasn't thrilled to see all those heads of garlic on my cutting board for this dish!


Aïgo Bouido (or Boulido) means “boiled water” in Provençal. Aïgo bouido sauvo la vido, a popular Provençal folk saying - “Boiled water saves your life” - is said to cure anything that ails you, especially any overindulgences of libations the previous night!


The original version of Aïgo Bouido is simply water boiled with a few garlic cloves, bay leaves and fresh sage. It’s served with a slice of bread and grated cheese. My version of Aïgo Bouido is definitely more substantial. I like to infuse the soup with other fresh herbs and stir in egg yolks to make it thicker.


Ingredients


  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil + more for drizzling

  • 20 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed

  • 6 sage leaves + more for garnish

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme

  • 2 cups water

  • 3 cups vegetable broth or stock

  • 5 egg yolks

  • 1 cup freshly grated cheese (I used aged parmesan)

  • freshly ground salt

  • freshly ground pepper


Procedure


Heat the olive oil in a large souppot or Dutch oven. Stir in the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, till the garlic begins to turn golden. Be careful not to burn it as the soup will become bitter!


Pour in the water and stock. Drop in the herbs and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover partially. Simmer for 30 minutes.


Scoop out the herbs and discard. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and cheese. Temper the eggs with the hot broth, then slowly pour the egg-broth mixture back into the souppot. Whisk until thickened and smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


Ladle into individual bowls and top with a small drizzle of olive oil and a sage leaf. Serve hot.


That is a wrap for my offering for the letter 'g.' We will be back in two weeks, sharing our creations for the letter 'h'! Stay tuned!

43 views6 comments

6 Comments


mayuri.ajay.patel62
Apr 11

Anything with garlic is a winner with me. Just love the lovely colour of the soup. Super tempting.

Like

Radha R
Radha R
Apr 10

This sounds delciious! Lovely flavor profile.

Like

cdelawder12
cdelawder12
Mar 27

Oh my, that really is a lot of garlic. I'd definitely be willing to try this...however...I will admit to be being a garlic-light kind of person.

Like
Camilla M. Mann
Camilla M. Mann
Apr 10
Replying to

'garlic-light' is a great description!

Like

Wendy Klik
Wendy Klik
Mar 27

I, too, love garlic and believe there is no such thing as too much.

Like
Camilla M. Mann
Camilla M. Mann
Apr 10
Replying to

And that is why we are such good friends! LOL.

Like
bottom of page