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I forgot to add garlic at the beginning of a soup recipe. (I usually add it to hot olive oil and remove when slightly browned before adding any vegetables or meats.. it gives a great flavor which is now missing from my soup.)

I thought about adding raw garlic cloves to the soup while it sits in the fridge overnight, then removing it the next day. (Would this make up for that missing flavor or overpower everythng else?) I also considered cooking garlic separately in olive oil and adding it in, but I dont want the soup to be too oily. Lastly, I considered adding garlic powder but the flavor is not really comparable. Is there anything else I can try to get the desired result?

mdegges
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    You might want to describe what type of soup it is (cream based versus broth, chunky or clear) or provide the recipe. Your idea of sauteeing the garlic in oil and then adding the oil is probably the most promising; you only need a tablespoon or two of oil, which in a full batch of soup should not make it oily. – SAJ14SAJ Jun 30 '13 at 07:35
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    I agree that the sauteed garlic would be a good approach. If you dislike the idea of fat eyes swimming on the soup surface, you can also bind the oil with some flour or starch (arrowroot will probably work best) before adding to the soup, basically making a zapryzhka afterwards (sorry, I don't know an English word for the concept). With the minimal amounts of oil and flour you are using, the resulting clouding will be too slight to create an aesthetic problem for almost all soups out there. – rumtscho Jun 30 '13 at 12:23
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    @rumtscho : is it (zapryzhka) a [roux](http://cooking.stackexchange.com/q/1089/67) ? If so we use a French loanword in English. – Joe Jul 01 '13 at 14:11
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    @Joe the relationship between z. and roux is complicated. Just like ice cream topping can be caramelized sugar crystals, a z. can be a roux. In most cases, it is not a roux, but can include frying flour in butter, just like a topping is not always c. sugar, but some frequent toppings (like fudge or caramel syrup) include caramelizing some sugar as a step in the preparation. The best definition I can give for z. is that soups commonly include a step in which the vegetables are roasted and excessive fat is bound, before adding liquid, and that a z. is what you have in the pot after that step. – rumtscho Jul 03 '13 at 11:28

4 Answers4

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I wouldn't use raw garlic, as it has a much different flavor from cooked garlic.

If you have some roasted garlic, you can put it in a blender with some of the liquid from the soup, then mix it into the rest of the soup. If you then let it sit overnight, it should help to spread the flavor.

Another alternative (although it won't necessarily replicate the original) would be to make a gremolata (garlic, parsley and lemon zest) and drop a small spoonful into each bowl when serving.

Joe
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Saute' some garlic for 2-3 minutes in a bit of oil. Add it to the soup. Done.

Carey Gregory
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  • This doesn't add enough information, as the OP has already considered "cooking in oil" but is unsure whether that is wise. – djechlin Sep 15 '14 at 23:14
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    @djechlin: I don't think it's "not enough information". Use sufficiently little oil not to make the soup "too oily". You really don't need much oil at all - a single spray from oil sprayer is enough. – SF. Sep 25 '18 at 09:22
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Whether or not this is viable probably depends on the kind of soup, but I suspect you could put it back in a pot, add some garlic, and cook for a little while longer. I'd expect most soups to be pretty forgiving about being overcooked. If you intend to remove the garlic again, it could be some trouble to hunt it all down, though.

Matt S
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I agree - "Saute' some garlic for 2-3 minutes in a bit of oil. Add it to the soup. Done" Use bare minimum amt of oil. Or zap some finely minced garlic mixed with small amt of soup in microwave then mix back into soup.