Smoked garlic soup is a winter classic in France. Added rocket (arugula) leaves give this an extra healthy boost and, with no cream in sight, hard to believe has only 60 calories a serving and made in just 30 minutes. Can't get smoked garlic? I have a substitute that's easy to find.
Best soup I have ever made and it was done in 30 minutes.
Thank you I have kept this and will try something different with the basic recipe in future. - Paul
A Soup to Scare off the Flu!
Before you think, 'Heck no! A garlic soup? That's not for me!' - I urge you to try this.
If you're like me and find that garlic sticks around you for a while, you'll love smoked garlic. It is much milder than regular garlic but strong on smoke. I can't believe it took me so long living here before I discovered this speciality from the north of France!
Not only is this a deliciously tasty soup, it's so good for you too. As smoked garlic is available in the winter months in France, it can be a real detox boost to either recuperate or help to avoid colds and flu - without even stinking everyone out with garlic.
Can't find smoked garlic? I give an easy flavour substitute below. Added with rocket or arugula leaves, the combination just works.
What is French Smoked Garlic?
The last few winters at our local market in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, our organic vegetable sellers are proud to show off one of France's seasonal gastronomic luxuries: smoked garlic.
Known as l'ail fumé in French (pronounced 'lie foo-may'), it has been the speciality for over 200 years from the northern town of Arleux in the Pas-de-Calais region. It's the only place in France where garlic is smoked and is protected from copycats with IGP (Indication Géographique Protegée) quality status.
Since 1962, every first Sunday in September, there's even a smoked garlic festival to celebrate, with la Foire à l'ail fumé. The festival's highlights over the 2 days include a tasting of the traditional soup (5000 litres are made!), a competition to pleat the garlic cloves together like a top hairdresser plus patriotic traditions from the masters in the field, la confrérie de l'ail fumé.
What is a Substitute for Smoked Garlic?
Much that this soup is best made with authentic French smoked garlic, it's not that easy to find. So to get the best similar flavour, I suggest you use half the amount of regular garlic with a few pinches of smoked paprika.
Even better, if you have extra time, roast a whole garlic clove for 30 minutes in a warm oven (180°C fan/400°F/Gas6). Cut the top off the head and roast it whole in the oven with a little olive oil and smoked paprika to replace the smoked garlic.
Please don't use powdered garlic over garlic cloves. The taste is not at all the same thing and not nearly as good.
Is Black Garlic the Same as Smoked?
Like smoked fish, smoked garlic is smoked using oak chips. The texture remains firm but the familiar, strong garlicky characteristic taste is given a more subtle flavour.
Black garlic, on the other hand, is completely different. It's fermented at high temperatures and the result produces a sweet, soft and sticky black cream-like texture - even when raw. As we were lucky enough to taste some brought back from Japan by our daughter, we added this to squid ink spaghetti with chopped fresh calamari. Jings - I digress!
Creamy Soup Recipe with No Cream!
Rather than use a lot of potato, traditionally used in abundance for a classic French smoked garlic soup, I was inspired by a Scottish rocket (arugula) soup. This recipe ends up being vegan but if you like a dash of cream in there, then be my guest. I often serve this with smoked salmon for dinner parties.
So I completely omitted the cream, adding only a small amount of potato - just to thicken it slightly. Added leek is to cleanse the body (see more in this leek and pumpkin soup) and added smoked garlic for that extra special ingredient.
What's the Best Potato to Thicken Soup?
The best potato variety to use for thickening soups is a floury potato such as Bintje. This is the common French variety seen in our markets but equivalents are Maris Piper, King Edward, Cosmos and Desiree.
However, not all soups that contain potato are there to thicken the soup. For example, the French's version of a classic leek and potato soup (Potage Bonne Femme), the potato is not blended but instead left in whole. The result means that an all-rounder like Charlotte or Yukon Gold is best.
See more on potatoes from the market.
See if you can find smoked garlic in stock (can never resist a good pun). It's totally worth it.
Give your guests a blind-tasting game to guess what the main ingredients are! It's difficult to detect that it's arugula or rocket, never mind the smoked garlic! It's "surprisingly delicious", says husband, Antoine. So there you have it.
Smoked Garlic and Arugula (Rocket) Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 4-5 cloves smoked garlic* peeled, germ removed, chopped finely
- 1 small leek or onion finely sliced
- 200 g (7oz/ 1½ cups) floury potato (e.g. Binje, Maris Piper, Desiree) one large potato (peeled weight)
- 500 ml (18 floz / 2 cups) vegetable stock
- 150 g (5.5oz/ 7 cups) arugula (rocket) leaves
- 1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley finely chopped
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over a medium heat in a high-sided pan and add the chopped leek (or onion). Sweat for a few minutes, stirring continuously, ensuring it doesn't brown. Add the finely chopped garlic (and smoked paprika if using - see NOTES for substitute alternatives) and sweat for a couple of minutes more.
- Add the chopped potato, adding the stock. Boil then cover and simmer on reduced heat for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
- Finally add the rocket/arugula (reserve a few for the decor) and parsley leaves. Return very BRIEFLY to the boil with the lid on (no more than 5 minutes), then immediately turn off the heat.
- Blend with a stick blender until smooth, adding some salt and ground black pepper to your taste.
- When ready to serve, reheat gently (do not boil), drizzle over some good quality olive oil and decorate with some rocket/arugula leaves.
Notes
This recipe was first published January 19, 2017 but is now completely updated.
Nikki
If I roast a head of garlic with oil and paprika, should I still only use 2 garlic cloves and 1/2 tsp of paprika? Or Use the 4-5 cloves roasted cloves as listed in the recipe?
Jill Colonna
Hi Nikki,
Thanks for asking this, as I've made it clear in the recipe but I had added about the whole roasted garlic as an additional option. If you love garlic, then the whole roasted garlic would replace either these options in the recipe. The 1/2 tsp of smoked paprika is only if you don't have smoked garlic. I'll update this to make it thoroughly clear in the post. Merci x
Paul Cougan
Best soup I have ever made and it was done in 30 minutes.
Thank you I have kept this and will try something different with the basic recipe in future.
Jill Colonna
So happy you like this recipe, Paul. I do hope you try more of the recipes here! Thanks for taking the time to review.
Martha
What an interesting discovery
Did not know about smoked garlic before
Thank you for sharing
Jill Colonna
I do hope you get to taste it, Martha. It's so much lighter than the regular bulbs.
Antoine
So delicious indeed
Wish could find smoked garlic more easily
Thank you
Jill Colonna
Agreed - I wish it was widely available but guess that's what makes it so special. Here's to finding more of it!
Tonio
I'm not much into soup - especially the watery kind my mum used to make but this takes it to another level. I'd even try this!
Jill Colonna
Hehe, thanks Tonio! I hope your Mum doesn't look in here ...
Christina
I'm so glad you are feeling back to your old self after that terrible flu, Jill! This soup sounds fabulous, especially with that special garlic! I've never tasted smoked garlic, but I've tried black garlic. Looks wonderful and I'd love to try your soup recipe soon!
Jill Colonna
Thanks so much, Christina. Yes, it's lovely to be back on form but it has taken me so long to regain energy. Guess it's also just this time of year. We don't quite have Californian "winter" temperatures in Paris!
Now you have me craving to try black garlic! So exciting to see more and more curiosities in the vegetable world.
Lynette
Thank you Jill - and thank you for inspiring me to push my boundaries ... your books, your blog and posts are always wonderful and make me want to cook!
Jill Colonna
What a most sweet thing to say - thank you so much for being so motivating through all your likes, comments and for following! Have a delicious weekend, Lynette.
Christina
I agree with you, Lynette!