Sometimes I wonder if maybe I am not following a recipe correctly. When I was younger most of my teachers’ concerns were that I didn’t pay attention and that I didn’t follow directions.
Or maybe the recipe is as quirky as Laura Calder. I’m not saying it was terrible because I did, after all, eat the portion I served for myself. It was interesting. It was like letting pieces of hard toast disintegrate in a bowl of milky chicken broth. I wasn’t sure if I should have eaten the “soup” with a slice of bread. I’m undecided as to whether or not I should make this Toast Soup again.
If you’re still curious about this soup here’s how you do it:
Fry 6 slices of smoky bacon until cooked but not crispy. Add 2 cups of chicken stock, bring to a boil, then turn off the heat, cover, and let it sit for an hour. Toast 8 cups of French bread. I cubed my bread before putting it in the oven. Once the toast is nice and brown, just before getting too dark, bring it out, and place it in a large saucepan. Strain the chicken stock over the bread, reserving the bacon. Add 2 cups of milk, 2 tsp of balsamic vinegar or sherry and 2 tsp of Dijon mustard. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Taste before seasoning. Cut the bacon into strips and re-fry it until crispy. I just re-fried it and cut it into bits. Reheat the soup and serve hot with the bacon bits on top for garnish. According to the book the recipe makes enough for 6 to 8 people. It’s pretty heavy so about one cup is enough for one person – at least it was for me.
