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Sunday, April 19, 2009

Golden Garlic Soup w/ Fideos {National Garlic Day}

Today is National Garlic Day! Garlic is one of my favorite things. I said it. I love garlic. I even ate it before I was married. A lot of it. Guess I only wanted to attract the kind of guy who likes garlic, himself. Mission accomplished...tee hee. And you how most people hate walking around with the smell of garlic on their hands? I actually like that. Weirdo, huh? It's even better if you've chopped up some lime &/or some ginger along with the garlic....ah, it's like perfume to me. I wanted to all smart and give you a big tutorial on the many uses and benefits of garlic; then I realized how much I have to get done today and I didn't prepare in advance, so I'm just going to show you some fun garlic-lovers cookbooks and share a new soup recipe I came up with this morning.
Golden Garlic Soup w/ Fideos
bfrom the kitchen of girlichef

Olive Oil
onions, small- 3 sliced fairly thin
garlic cloves, peeled- 10 sliced thin
bay leaves, fresh- 2
thyme, fresh- few sprigs
3 1/2 oz. fideo (or broken up vermicelli)
Chicken/Beef/Veg Stock or Broth (your choice or a mixture)- 1 1/2 quarts
salt & pepper- to taste
for garnish:
queso fresco, cut into small cubes
crushed, dried chiles (I used chile de arbol, chopped up in spice grinder)

Put a pot on over medium heat. Add a few swirls of olive oil. Add your sliced onions, stirring occasionally, until golden.
While onions are cooking, peel your garlic.
Slice them up very thin, either by hand or in one of these nifty little mini-mandolin type slicers (love this!).
Add to pot once onions are golden. Continue to cook and stir around a bit, until garlic gets soft and golden. Add your herbs and your fideos. Stir them around for a couple of minutes to toast them.

Add the broth/stock of your choice and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes or so, until fideos are al dente.
Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Ladle into bowls and garnish with queso fresco and crushed chiles.
This soup is a garlic-lover's dream! Golden, caramelized, earthy garlic and onions along with the underlying heat from the sprinkling of chiles and the salty, just-meltiness (I know, not a word) of the cheese combine so beautifully...I think I'll go have another bowl of it once I'm finished here.

So, Happy Garlic Day to all....vampires and bugs be warned!

I'm also going to try to send this over to Deb for entry in Souper Sundays, even though I'm pretty sure I'm late and won't make it into today's roundup.

Would you like to comment?

  1. From another girl who loves that smell of garlic on her hands, this soup looks fantastic! Wow I want to try to make this - it looks actually simple yet so luscious!

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  2. I love the smell of garlic too, cooking and raw! What a delicious pot of soup!! I didn't know it was Garlic Day, or I would of done something special, next year we should do a round-up! I think you'll make it into Deb's round-up, she's on Hawaii time, about four hours behind me.

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  3. That soup looks amazing! I love garlic, too, and I also love it when it makes my fingers smell all garlicky!

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  4. I've been meaning to make a garlic soup for a while! Looks awesome!

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  5. Yum-Just made a roasted garlic soup last night. April is national food month-come on over to see what ech day stands for.

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  6. You are not too late at all! The round up will posted at noonish (Hawaii Standard Time).

    Being a big fan of garlic (amd melty cheese!) myself, this soup looks fantastic. Can you mail me a bowl?

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  7. Another great job, Heather. Looks like you're adjusting to that new kitchen of yours quite well!

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  8. I love garlic and "just-meltiness" cheese. I like how you can make up foodie words to describe something so perfectly. :)

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  9. ...not quite sure why I can't wrap my brain around Hawaii time. I've been told and still can't figure it out!? Ever do that???

    ...and Deb-I'd never be able to calculate the time it'd take to get there before it spoiled, so...LOL!

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  10. ...also, I love that so many other people love the smell of garlic on their fingers (or garlic in general)!

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  11. ...okay, must just be my brain cuz I can never remember everything all at once! REENI- great idea! I'm gonna write it down and hope I see it about this time next year...remind me!

    ...Jen...off to check it out now!

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  12. Dar, garlic is the perfume I wear!! That is what my husband says anyway. I am always roasting garlic, chopping garlic, adding garlic etc.... My husband stopped asking "Is there garlic in this?" Great soup!!

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  13. I like to rub garlic all over my body (oops, did I say that aloud?)...Seriosly, me love some good garlic.

    Jenifer

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  14. national garlic day?!?! how did i not know this?!?!?! i am making you personally responsible for alerting me next year ;)

    this sounds so yummy! mmmmm.

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  15. I have all three books! And have been to the restaurant!!! Lets just say I roast it and wear the oil as a hand lotion...If someone dares to tell me I stink, then I will politely say "Bite Me, I am Chef E" back at 'em!

    You liked that biker post huh? *wink* I either kill them with my food or my jokes...

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  16. I love garlic too, but my dear hubby HATES it. He swears it makes him sick, however, I have found that if I chop it finely enough and assure him that there is no garlic in the recipe, he doesn't get sick LOL.

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  17. I love the smell of garlic too....Your garlic soup looks great....

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  18. LOVE the soup.. The garlic round up idea by Reeni is wonderful also.

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  19. Garlic sauteeing in butter or olive oil is the best scent EVER!! This soup is great - I've been wanting to make something with fideos. Of course, soup is always a favorite!

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  20. Holy cow, this looks wonderful. I remember vacationing with a friend to Gilroy, CA where they grow all the garlic, and you could smell it the second you entered the city. I love to smell of garlic too, so I was in heaven!

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  21. I have various garlic soup recipes that I've been saving to try.But now I may have to discard all of them to try this one isntead!

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  22. I love garlic too. I don't have any of those books (but I want the Stinky Rose one!) and I do have Everything's Better With Garlic.
    Garlic is sexy, good thing you found a husband who knows that.
    Wonderful looking soup.

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  23. garlic is one of my favorite pantry staples!!!

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  24. This looks great; I love both fideo noodles and garlic. In fact, I actually love it when my hands still smell like garlic after chopping it!

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  25. Every day is garlic day out here in Gilroy! Check out www.Christopherranch.com for tons of unique garlic recipes and information from the garlic capital of the world. There is a lot of poor quality Chinese garlic in stores, so remember to check country of origin and choose California garlic!

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  26. Yum! I am going to have to try this soup! It looks fabulous. Very cute blog!

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  27. Ahaha! I love the smell of garlic on my hands too!! I made garlic soup last night. I hope to get it up on my blog soon. =)

    Yours looks really good! I can't wait to try it!

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  28. I love that we have a National Garlic Day - how cool is that? This soup looks terrific, I'd better make some to ward off the vampires :)

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  29. Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum!! You got your garlic, your cheese, your chiles, and your noodles-- what could be more perfect??? I have always loved garlic. In fact since I started cooking more Cuban food I am even more fond of garlic. When I lived in Madison, WI there was a fantastic New Orleans take out place I could never remember the name of that I always called "Eat Mo' Bettah" in honor of the Cajun Chef... they had the most divine Cream of Garlic soup there. I still dream about it, 20 years later!

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  30. How did I miss Garlic Day? This soup sounds just great. I have bookmarked it to make this weekend. Thanks for an awesome sounding recipe.

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  31. Love garlic! The soup looks really great!

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  32. My mom always makes a version of fideo when I have a cold or the flu, but I bet yours would make someone get well a lot faster, with all those chilis!


    Malice in Dunderland

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