Garlic and Leek Soup with Saffron
You will love this simple brothy soup, a riff on the classic Spanish Sopa de Ajo. Delicious with a poached egg on top.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time1 hour hr
Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Servings: 6 servings
- 2 heads garlic, ,separated into cloves and peeled
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 1 to 2 teaspoons sea salt, depending on how salty your broth is
- Pinch saffron
- Freshly ground pepper
- 2 whole cloves
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 4 sprigs fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
- 1 ½ cups sliced leeks
- ½ cup dried orzo or other small pasta
- 2 cups homemade croutons
- ½ cup grated sharp aged cheese, eg Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, or Manchego
Add the garlic to the veggie broth along with the salt, saffron, a generous grind of pepper, the cloves, thyme, and parsley. Bring to a gentle boil, then cover and simmer for about one hour. Strain and discard the garlic, clove and herbs.
While the garlic is simmering, sauté the leeks in the butter or olive oil until soft and just golden.
Stir the orzo into the broth along with the sautéed leeks. Simmer until the orzo is just cooked.
To serve, put some croutons in the bottom of a soup bowl and sprinkle with the cheese. Ladle the soup over this.
If you wish, top with a poached egg.