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czech garlic soup česnečka recipe
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Czech Garlic Soup – Česnečka

This is a traditional recipe for Czech garlic soup with potatoes, called česnečka or česneková polévka.
Course Soup
Cuisine Czech
Keyword česnečka, česneková polévka, czech garlic soup, garlic soup with potatoes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 234kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 brown potatoes
  • 8 cloves garlic
  • 5 cups chicken broth (1.2 l)
  • 1 Tablespoon lard or vegetable oil such as sunflower or Canola
  • 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper ground
  • salt the exact amount depends on the saltiness of the chicken broth - salt the soup to your liking

Rye bread croutons:

  • 2 slices bread stale
  • 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Instructions

  • Peel cloves of garlic and cut them into thin slices.
  • Peel potatoes, dice them into cubes about ½ inch (1-1.5 cm) thick.
  • In a soup pot, melt the lard over medium heat.
  • Add potato cubes and sauté them until lightly golden brown. It takes about 5 minutes. Stir frequently.
  • Add slices of garlic, bay leaves, and sauté for 1 minute (no longer!).
  • Pour in chicken broth. Bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat, add salt, ground black pepper, and dried marjoram. Cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
  • Serve with bread croutons.

Rye bread croutons:

  • Grab 1-2 slices of stale bread. Cut it in cubes in size of about ½ inch (1-1.5 cm).
  • Grease a baking dish with a little bit of butter.
  • Add bread cubes and place the dish into the oven preheated to 340°F (170°C)
  • Bake for 10 minutes, halfway through mix the bread cubes to get crispy from all sides.

Notes

  1. Makes 4 portions.
  2. For even more intensive taste, add some freshly crushed raw garlic into the soup at the end.
  3. Place the toasted bread croutons into the soup just before you eat it.
  4. The garlic soup keeps up for three days when stored in a fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 234kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 89mg | Potassium: 769mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 98IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg