Sopa de Ajo
A hearty Castilian garlic bread soup of stale bread simmered in rich garlicky broth with smoked paprika and chorizo, finished with poached eggs. Warming and deeply savory.
Ingredients
- 8 oz day-old crusty bread (baguette or country loaf), torn into chunks
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 4 oz Spanish dried chorizo (cured, not fresh), sliced into coins
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Instructions
-
1
Heat 6 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add 10 cloves thinly sliced garlic and fry, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
-
2
Add 4 oz sliced into coins Spanish dried chorizo (cured, not fresh) and cook for 2 more minutes until it renders its fat and the edges color slightly.
-
3
Stir in 2 tsp smoked paprika and cook for 30 seconds, then immediately add 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth and 2 bay leaf. Bring to a simmer.
-
4
Add 8 oz torn into chunks day-old crusty bread (baguette or country loaf) to the pot. Press it down so it submerges and soaks up the broth. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bread breaks down and the soup thickens. Season with 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper.
-
5
Remove bay leaf. Using a spoon, make wells in the surface of the soup and crack 4 large eggs directly into the wells. Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for 4 to 5 minutes until the whites are just set but the yolks are still runny.
-
6
Ladle into bowls, making sure each serving has an egg. Garnish with 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.