Meatless Monday - Spanish Garlic Soup

With the change of the seasons come the head and chest colds.  Poor Janet, who never gets sick, has fallen victim to a bad one.  Of course the universal home remedy for a cold is chicken soup but we don't eat meat.  However, we know that it's the vitamins in the vegetables, the warmth of the soup and the extra fluids that eating soup give us that really help relieve the cold symptoms.  I know that garlic is supposed to have some really good anti-viral properties and that something with some hot spices would help make her feel better so I fixed some Spanish Garlic Soup.  This is different than the Garlic Soup with Poached Egg recipe that I published previously because it's spicier.

• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 bulb of garlic, peeled
• 1 tbs Spanish Paprika
• 4 cups vegetable broth or stock
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 4 eggs (substitute tofu if you prefer)
• a few leaves of mustard greens
• chopped parsley garnish
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a stock pot, add the cloves of garlic and cook until golden then remove and set aside. Add the paprika to the oil and fry for a few seconds. Stir in the vegetable broth and cumin then add the garlic crushing the cloves with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook for about 5 minutes while the oven is preheating to 450 degrees.

Shred the mustard greens and add them to the soup.  Ladle the soup into 4 ovenproof bowls.  Break 1 egg into each bowl then place into the oven.  Bake for 4 - 5 minutes until the eggs are cooked.  Add salt and pepper to taste, garnish with parsley.

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