From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is the second of the two garlic soups I keep in my recipe arsenal. Both are creamy soups, but they achieve that smoothness in different ways. One uses sour cream, while the other uses a copious quantity of light cream to loosen the heavy base. Both are cooked in the same fashion as a good onion soup, where onions are first cooked in a covered pot until they collapse and give up liquid, and then browned until a beautiful golden slurry is formed. I must admit I like this recipe as much as the first and find it slightly easier to make. The recipe comes from the kitchens of the Hotel Schloss Fuschl on the outskirts of Salzburg, Germany . It sits on the banks of Lake Fuschl and it is actually a converted castle originally built as a hunting lodge and summer palace for the archbishops of Salzburg. The soup is delicious, but my active imagination would find it even more tasty sitting on the deck overlooking that gorgeous lake. The location and attendant ambiance would definitely enhance the flavor of the soup and quickly break the tie I spoke of. Those archbishops sure knew how to live, and while I can't match the ambiance they enjoyed, I can provide the soup. Here's the recipe.

Old Salzburg Garlic Soup...from thekitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of the Hotel Schloss Fuschl

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups thinly sliced onion

1/2 cup chopped garlic

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup flour

6 cups low-sodium beef broth

1 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sour cream

Grated nutmeg, to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

Croutons

Minced fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions:

1) Combine onions and garlic in a large stock pot set over medium heat. Cook

slowly over medium heat until onions are golden brown. This can take 30 to 40 minutes. 2

2) Add 1/2 cup flour and cook mixture, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Add stock, wine, and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer about 20 minutes.

3) Strain mixture through a fine sieve into another pot. Stir in sour cream and freshly grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste.

4) Ladle into bowls and garnish with toasted croutons and parsley. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.

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