Winter
L'aido Boulido (Catalan garlic soup) with Pistou
- Serves 2
Author Notes
This is a simple, all-time favorite of mine that my father used to serve me when I was sick, or when he was sick of cooking anything more involved. It can be prepared as a warming vegan dish by simply omitting the Gruyere. Traditionally (at least in my family) served with a toasted slice of bread covered in rouille (Catalan pesto), and with a few shavings of Guyere, this sucker is pleasingly spicy, and warming.
This is pop's recipe, basically verbatim. —Ian
What You'll Need
Ingredients
- For the rouille
-
1 handful
basil leaves
-
6-12
cloves garlic
-
.5
red bell pepper, seeded
-
2-5
chilis de arbol, to your taste
-
1
fat slice of white bread, soaked in water and squeezed dry
-
olive oil (see below)
-
salt and pepper
- For the L'aido Boulido
-
12
garlic cloves, mashed
-
4 cups
water
-
2
bay leaves
-
1 sprig
fresh sage
-
4 tablespoons
olive oil
-
4
slices of stale bread
-
1.5 cups
Gruyere, grated
-
salt to taste
-
1-2 tablespoons
rouille (see above)
Directions
- For the rouille
- Loosely chop up the bell pepper, the garlic, and chuck them into a food processor with the dried chilis and the wrung-out bread. Pulse until they're largely chopped.
- Add the the basil, and a little salt and pepper, and pulse, drizzling olive oil in, until it begins to resemble a pesto.
- For the L'aido Boulido
- Bring water garlic & salt to boil, and cook 10-15 minutes.
- Add herbs and 1 Tbsp oil. Cook for 5 minutes, then cover and let stand 10 minutes.
- Place a slice in each heated bowl, cover with cheeses, sprinkle with oil, and pour over the broth.
- Stir in half a tablespoon to a tablespoon of rouille, or just leave it up to your guests.
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