Garlic Soup in a Bread Loaf

[Navii]

I always loved when my mom made garlic soup, but not because I liked garlic soup. Whenever we had garlic soup she would cut off a slice from the top of a bread loaf and then she'd carve it out. Just like a pumpkin. Later when we were ready to eat she poured the soup into the hollow bread loaf and put the slice she cut off earlier on top of it. This kept the soup warm until we started eating and also made for a really good looking soup. For some reason I also think it tastes better inside the bread loaf but that might just be imagination. I was always fascinated by it, because for me it was crazy that I could eat my "plate".

 

[Ellyn]

One of my favorite restaurants does that for cream of mushroom soup. That's why it's my favorite restaurant, actually, it's a great novelty, and the bread and soup keep each other warm.

Some soup recipes actually have bread in the soup, or include a crust of cheese even though the gooey shreds just sort of float about and stick to the ladle and it's a waste. A friend of my mother's found a way around that by simply spooning the broth (say...a garlic and onion soup) into shallow dishes, and putting a slice of country bread with grilled cheese on top of the bread, on top of the broth. The bread would dissolve (sort of) in the broth, so the recipe was essentially the same only without the mess and waste.

Not as fun as actually making the bread into a bowl, though, of course.

 

[firelily99]

I've had the bread bowls with other kinds of soup and they are wonderful when they are served that way. I have yet to do it for myself but I will and I have no doubt that I will love it. Garlic soup sounds wonderful, I have to try and find a recipe for it.

 

[Verity Darkwaters]

I make bread bowls, but this would probably be easier since I usually already have a loaf of bread. When I make bread it makes two loaves. That does sound wonderful though. I haven't eaten this morning yet and am starving. I will be finding a garlic soup recipe or I may try to make my own.

 

[forextraspecialstuff]

There is something about bread bowls that I don't like, but I do think they are an awesome way to present soup. I think that with the soup in it the bread, no matter how crusty, must get soggy and I don't like the texture of soggy bread. Does this happen or does the bread tend to not absorb too much of the soup?

 

[Ellyn]

There is something about bread bowls that I don't like, but I do think they are an awesome way to present soup. I think that with the soup in it the bread, no matter how crusty, must get soggy and I don't like the texture of soggy bread. Does this happen or does the bread tend to not absorb too much of the soup?

Depends on the bread, I suppose. If I tried to hollow out one of these everyday white-bread soft-crust loaves, I suspect that leaving soup to cool in it would cause the soup to seep and make a huge mess. But a crusty French bread, even if the soup is spooned into the soft white part inside, should still remain crusty outside.

It might also depend on how creamy the soup is. Watery broth soups would of course make any bread soggy in short order.

 

[Verity Darkwaters]

Ellyn is right, there is a big difference between broths and creamy soups. I find if you use a creamy or really chunky soup, the bread won't become soggy as fast. If you use something with a broth regardless of the crust it will become soggy really fast.