Sopa de Ajo (Castilian Garlic and Bread Soup)
Local name: Sopa de ajo
In short: Garlic fried in olive oil with smoked paprika and stale bread, simmered into a thick broth and finished with poached eggs, a Castilian winter staple. It takes about 45 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 365 kcal
Sopa de ajo, also called sopa castellana, is the soup of the high Castilian plateau, where winters are bitter and nothing goes to waste. Stale bread is toasted in olive oil with a lot of garlic and smoked paprika, then simmered into a thick, comforting broth. Eggs are poached right in the pot. It costs next to nothing and is on the table in 45 minutes. Do not rush the garlic: it should turn golden, not brown.
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-low heat. Cook the garlic for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Do not let it brown.
- Add the ham and cook for 1 minute. Add the bread and stir to coat in the oil, then toast for 3 minutes until lightly golden.
- Take the pot off the heat and stir in the paprika for 10 seconds. Pour in the hot stock at once, so the paprika does not scorch.
- Bring to a boil, season with salt, then simmer for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the bread falls apart and thickens the soup.
- Make four small wells in the soup and crack an egg into each. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny.
- Ladle into bowls with one egg in each and sprinkle with parsley. Serve straight away.
Tips
- Add the paprika off the heat. It burns in seconds and turns the whole soup bitter.
- For a vegetarian soup, skip the ham, use vegetable stock and add an extra 1/2 tsp smoked paprika for the missing smoky flavor.
Questions and answers
Can I make sopa de ajo ahead?
Make the soup base up to 2 days ahead and keep it in the fridge. Reheat it and poach the eggs just before serving so the yolks stay runny.
What bread works best for garlic soup?
Day-old rustic bread with a firm crumb, or a baguette. Soft sandwich bread dissolves into paste, so avoid it.
Is sopa de ajo very garlicky?
It is garlic-forward, but cooking turns the garlic sweet and nutty rather than sharp. Use 5 cloves for a milder soup.
How long does it take to make Sopa de Ajo (Castilian Garlic and Bread Soup)?
About 45 min in total: 15 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Sopa de Ajo (Castilian Garlic and Bread Soup)?
About 365 kcal per serving, with 17 g of protein, 27 g of carbohydrates and 21 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 365 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 17 g |
| Carbohydrates | 27 g |
| Fat | 21 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Sodium | 1300 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
