SS&GF: Simply Sugar and Gluten Free

Today is my Mom’s birthday.  I thought about making a dessert to celebrate the occasion but my mom isn’t much of a dessert person. She’s much more inclined to reach for something savory – she’s notorious for eating a bowl of soup instead of dessert. So I made soup.

Her love of soup is is something she’s passed down to me.  It’s gotten a little cooler in Dallas and I’ve been making all kinds of comforting, liquid concoctions.  My personal favorite right now is garlic soup – or as it’s known in Provence, aigo boulido.  Quite simply, it’s a soup made from boiled water and garlic.  It’s so basic, yet so comforting, flavorful, and versatile.  I’ve been making a pot for lunch everyday – sometimes using the broth to poach eggs, throwing in brown rice, simmering fresh veggies in the rich broth, or eating it simply with a little fresh grated parmesan cheese.  Traditionally, the soup is ladled on top of bread, which is delicious.  I rarely have gluten-free bread around, though, and find this soup just as enticing without it.

This soup is one of Provence’s oldest culinary traditions – they say l’aigo boulido suavo lo vito. Garlic soup saves one’s life.

So does the love of a good mom.

On this very special day, I’m celebrating my Mom and all the ways she’s blessed my life.  I’m grateful for:

• the loving dedication she consistently gave our family from the nightly made-from-scratch meals to the endless volunteer hours at our school
• all I’ve learned from her about how to maintain a home, grocery shop, juggle birthdays, holidays, time, and money
• the sense of family she continues to insist on, even when my sisters and I have all grown up and are on our own
• the example she sets by always showing up to help others, whether it’s in our family, at work, or in her community
• the wonderful friendship and openness we have today that only grows better with time

Happy birthday, Mom.  I love you.

Today is day 4 of Fall Festival 2009.  Link your fall recipe at Life as a MOM’s Ultimate Recipe Swap or just stop by and say hello – Jessica is giving away The Autumn Book by Susan Branch to one lucky participant.

Printer-friendly recipe

Garlic Soup (aigo boulido)
serves 2
adapted from Larousse Gastronomique

5 cups water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 cloves of garlic, minced
4 fresh sage leaves
1 medium bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped

Place water, salt, garlic, sage, bay leaf, and thyme in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove a ladle full of soup and place it in a bowl to cool slightly.  Once cooled, add it to the egg while whisking.  While whisking the soup, pour in the egg mixture.  Remove sage leaves, bay leaf, and thyme sprig.  Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parsley.  Serve immediately.

Enjoy!