Garlic Soup

Instructions

1. Prepare the garlic
   Peel all garlic cloves. Slice about half of them thinly and leave the rest whole. This provides different intensities of garlic flavor in the final soup.
2. Sauté the aromatics
   In a large pot, heat olive oil and butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add all the garlic and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant but not browned.
3. Simmer the soup
   Add the chicken broth, bay leaf, thyme, and sage. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, allowing the garlic to become very tender.
4. Add bread
   Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprig. Add the bread cubes to the soup and simmer for another 5 minutes until the bread begins to dissolve slightly into the broth.
5. Prepare the liaison
   In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cream. Gradually add about 1 cup of the hot soup to the mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs and prevent curdling.
6. Finish the soup
   Remove the soup from heat. Slowly pour the egg mixture back into the pot, stirring constantly. Return to very low heat and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened, but do not allow it to boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve
   Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and serve immediately with additional crusty bread on the side if desired.