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Spanish Garlic Soup with Bread and Egg (Sopa de Ajo)
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Source: https://recipheon.com/en/recipes/soups/spanish-garlic-soup-with-bread-and-egg-sopa-de-ajo
About this recipe
Spanish garlic soup with bread and egg combines gently sautéed garlic, smoked paprika, and soft bread. The bread is not a crunchy topping for the bowl: it is first lightly browned in olive oil, then cooked in stock to give the soup a hearty, uneven texture. Use slightly stale wheat bread with a distinct crust that absorbs liquid well; soft sandwich bread would break down into a uniform mass too quickly. Keep the garlic pale gold, and add the sweet smoked paprika off the heat, immediately pouring in the stock so it does not turn bitter. The eggs set directly in the gently simmering soup with the lid on. The finished whites should be fully set, and the yolks creamy and thickened, with no runny center. Using prepared unsalted poultry stock, you can make four servings in about 35 minutes.
Ingredients
Soup and Eggs
200 g slightly stale wheat bread with a crust, without additions such as seeds, cheese, or herbs; not sandwich bread
40 g raw garlic, weighed after peeling
40 ml olive oil, divided: 25 ml for the garlic and 15 ml for the bread
5 g ground sweet smoked paprika
1400 ml prepared clear unsalted chicken stock, regular strength and ready to use, not concentrate
4 raw medium eggs (size M), about 200 g edible weight without shells
5 g fine salt
0.5 g ground black pepper
Steps
Cut the bread, including the crust, into thin slices about 1 cm thick, then tear them into pieces about 3–4 cm across. Thinly slice the peeled garlic. Have a wide pot with a lid ready, large enough to hold four eggs side by side later, along with a small bowl for cracking them into.
Heat 25 ml olive oil in the pot over medium-low heat. Add the garlic slices and cook for about 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened and beginning to turn pale gold. Do not wait for dark brown edges; if the garlic darkens quickly, reduce the heat immediately.
AI-generated Add the remaining 15 ml olive oil and all the bread. Cook over medium-low heat for about 2–3 minutes, gently turning the pieces until they absorb the oil and turn lightly golden in places. The bread does not need to be evenly crisp; stir along the bottom too, so the garlic does not burn as it continues to cook.
AI-generated Remove the pot from the hot burner and add all the sweet smoked paprika. Stir briefly to coat the bread and garlic, then immediately pour in all the prepared unsalted chicken stock. The paprika should combine with the olive oil, but not fry against a dry, hot pot bottom, as it easily turns bitter.
Return the pot to the burner and add all the salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, which will take about 3–5 minutes, then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid slightly ajar for about 5 minutes. The bread should soak up the liquid, soften, and partially break down, but recognizable pieces and liquid between them should remain in the soup. Stir gently from the bottom without mashing the bread into a smooth paste.
AI-generated Keep the soup at a very gentle simmer, with small bubbles around the edges. Crack the eggs one at a time into the small bowl and carefully slide them into the soup in four separate spots, gently moving the bread aside with a spoon to make room for each egg. Do not stir after adding the eggs, so the whites do not tear.
Cover the pot and cook over low heat for about 6–8 minutes, without vigorous bubbling. The whites should be fully set and opaque, including right next to the yolks, and the yolks thickened and creamy, with no runny center. If the eggs have not yet set, cook them a little longer with the lid on; the bread underneath will stay soft.
Use a wide spoon to transfer one egg to each of four bowls. Divide the soft bread and stock among them, scooping carefully to keep the eggs whole. Serve immediately while the soup is hot and the bread is soft and soaked.
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