Garlic soup (Česnečka)

Česnečka is a restorative Czech garlic soup with potatoes and marjoram, served over bread with crisp bacon — a 30-minute cure for cold, tired evenings.

Ingredients

• garlic1 head
• potatoes300 g
• broth1 l
• marjoram1 tsp
• bacon80 g
• bread4 slices

Method

1. Prep garlic and potatoes. Peel and finely chop or crush the entire head of garlic. Peel the potatoes and cut them into small 1–2 cm cubes so they cook through quickly.
2. Fry the garlic. Warm a generous glug of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant and just turning golden — don't let it brown too dark or it'll turn bitter.
3. Add broth and potatoes. Pour in the litre of broth and add the potato cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer.
4. Simmer until tender. Cook for 12–15 minutes until the potatoes are completely soft — a fork should slide in with no resistance. Stir in the marjoram and season well with salt and pepper.
5. Crisp the bacon. While the soup simmers, fry the bacon in a dry pan over medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes, turning once, until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper and roughly chop or crumble.
6. Toast the bread. Toast or griddle the bread slices until golden on both sides.
7. Plate and serve. Place a slice of toasted bread in the bottom of each bowl and ladle the hot soup over it. Scatter the crispy bacon on top and serve straight away.

Safety & hygiene Important

• Raw bacon handling. Wash your hands and any board or knife that touched the raw bacon before handling other ingredients, particularly the bread for serving.