Česnečka (Czech Garlic Soup or Hangover Soup)

Česnečka (Czech Garlic Soup or Hangover Soup)

Česnečka (Czech garlic soup) is touted in Prague as a panacea for everything from the common cold to a hangover. With two full heads of garlic, you might be surprised at how deliciously mellow the flavor is!

Course Soup

Cuisine Czech

Keyword Česnečka, Czech Garlic Soup, Garlic Soup, Garlic Soup Recipe, Hangover Soup, Hangover Soup Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 709kcal

Author Faith Gorsky

Ingredients

Croutons:

2 cups 1/2-inch cubed stale rye bread or any kind of bread you like
2 teaspoons beef tallow melted (see Notes)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Soup:

4 tablespoons beef tallow
1 pound yellow potatoes cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I use yellow potatoes so I can leave the peel on because they have thin skin)
1 small-medium yellow onion chopped small (about 3/4 cup)
20 large cloves garlic divided into 18 cloves thinly sliced and 2 cloves crushed (about 1/2 cup of thinly sliced garlic and 1 tablespoon of crushed garlic)
4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon dried crushed marjoram leaves
1 teaspoon caraway seeds lightly crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley plus more for garnish
1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Croutons:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Toss together the cubed bread, melted beef tallow, salt, and black pepper on a baking tray. Bake until the croutons are crisp and light golden, about 10 minutes, tossing once halfway through.

For the Soup (while the croutons cook, start the soup):

Brown the potato a little. Add the beef tallow to a 5-quart pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the potatoes, spreading them out in an even layer. Cook until the potatoes take on a little color, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently so they don’t stick.
Sauté the onion and garlic. Stir in the onion and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in the 18 cloves sliced garlic (about 1/2 cup) and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. PRO TIP: Make sure you don't let the garlic brown, or you run the risk of it turning bitter.
Add the stock and seasonings and cook. Stir in the chicken stock, marjoram, caraway, salt, black pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot, reduce the heat slightly, and cook until the potatoes are tender but not mushy, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Finish with a bit of raw garlic. Remove from the heat. Stir in the 2 cloves crushed garlic and the parsley.

To Serve:

Serve the soup topped with croutons, parmesan cheese, and more fresh parsley.

Video

Notes

Beef Tallow: Instead of beef tallow, you can use bacon drippings, duck fat, chicken fat (aka schmaltz), ghee, vegetable oil, olive oil, or a combination of half butter and half oil.
How Much Garlic to Use: I use about 2 heads of garlic for this recipe. Each head of garlic has around 10 cloves. Once the garlic cloves are peeled and thinly sliced, you should end up with about 1/2 cup. You can cut this amount in half or double it based on your personal preference. I know it seems like a lot of garlic, but the flavor mellows significantly once cooked and it’s not at all overwhelming.
How to Add Egg to Bump Up the Protein and Flavor: You can find this soup served in Prague with egg added. It's similar to Chinese egg drop soup with egg ribbons running through it. The method is simple: you whisk beaten egg into the simmering soup at the end right before serving. If you want to add egg, you can whisk up to 3 beaten eggs into this soup at the end of step 4 in the recipe above.

Nutrition