Thistle Soup

Preparation:

Preparation: Clean the thistles by removing the outer, hard and stringy leaves, then cut the tender stems into 8-10 cm long pieces. Remove the hair on the surface of the stems, scraping them with the sharp blade of a knife. As you clean the pieces of thistle, soak them in a bowl filled with water acidulated with the juice of a lemon, to prevent them from turning black. Quickly clean the heart of the thistle as well, removing the woody part that covers it, cut it into small pieces and put them in the bowl too. Bring plenty of salted water acidulated with the juice of half a lemon to the boil in a large saucepan, then plunge in the cardoons. Let it boil again, cover the container with a lid and cook for 30 minutes over moderate heat, then drain the cardoons and drain well. Fry the garlic in a pan with hot oil and butter for 3-4 minutes over high heat, then remove it and put the cardoons in the pan. Let them flavor for a few minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, then wet them with three glasses of hot water and add salt. Bring to the boil, add the two beaten eggs separately with salt and pepper, mix and leave to thicken over low heat. In the meantime, cut the bread into cubes and let it toast in the oven. Distribute the croutons obtained on the bottom of a tureen, pour over the steaming soup and serve.