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classic-czech-garlic-soup

Česnečka (Czech Garlic Soup or Hangover Soup)


  • Author: Chef Emy
  • Total Time: PT40M
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x

Description

With two full heads of garlic, potato, rich chicken stock, crispy rye bread croutons, and a simple seasoning blend, it’s a delicious meal that’s worth eating


Ingredients

Scale
  • Croutons:
  • 2 cups 1/2-inch cubed stale rye bread or any kind of bread you like
  • 2 teaspoons beef tallow melted (see Notes)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • Soup:
  • 4 tablespoons beef tallow
  • 1 pound yellow potatoes cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I use yellow potatoes so I can leave the peel on because they have thin skin)
  • 1 small-medium yellow onion chopped small (about 3/4 cup)
  • 20 large cloves garlic divided into 18 cloves thinly sliced and 2 cloves crushed (about 1/2 cup of thinly sliced garlic and 1 tablespoon of crushed garlic)
  • 4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
  • 1 teaspoon dried crushed marjoram leaves
  • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds lightly crushed
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley plus more for garnish
  • 1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions

  1. Croutons:
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
  3. Toss the rye bread cubes with melted beef tallow, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
  4. Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake until crisp and golden, about 10-15 minutes, tossing halfway through.
  5. Soup:
  6. In a large pot, melt 4 tablespoons beef tallow over medium heat.
  7. Add chopped onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
  8. Add the cubed potatoes and sauté briefly to coat in fat.
  9. Add the thinly sliced garlic cloves (18 cloves) and sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
  10. Pour in chicken or vegetable stock and add marjoram, caraway seeds, salt, black pepper, and bay leaf.
  11. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
  12. Remove bay leaf from the soup.
  13. Add the 2 crushed garlic cloves and simmer for an additional 2 minutes.
  14. Stir in minced fresh parsley.
  15. Serve the soup hot, garnished with shaved parmesan cheese and rye bread croutons.
  • Prep Time: PT15M
  • Cook Time: PT25M
  • Method: Soup
  • Cuisine: Czech