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Sopa de ajo
Sopa castellana: Castilian garlic and bread soup with paprika and poached egg
Sopa de ajo, also called sopa castellana, is the warming winter soup of Castile and León, from Segovia to Burgos: stale bread fried in olive oil with lots of garlic and smoky pimentón, simmered in stock and finished with eggs poached right in the soup. It was shepherds' and farmers' food, made from what was always in the kitchen, and is still eaten after a cold night out or on Ash Wednesday. Castilian cooks often add cured ham; this vegetarian version gets its depth from smoked pimentón and a good vegetable stock. Serve it in earthenware bowls, piping hot. Chef's tip: use bread that is truly stale and dry, and toast it in the garlicky oil until golden before adding the stock; fresh bread turns to mush, while toasted stale bread swells but keeps a little texture.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 5 tbsp olive oil in a wide, heavy pot or flameproof casserole over a medium-low heat. Add 8 cloves garlic and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until pale golden and fragrant. Don't let it brown, or the soup will be bitter.
3 minStep 2: Add 5 ½ oz stale rustic bread and turn it in the oil for 3–4 minutes, until it has soaked up the oil and toasted lightly at the edges.
4 minStep 3: Take the pot off the heat and stir in 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika (pimentón de la Vera) and ¼ tsp hot paprika so they coat the bread. Without the heat they won't burn.
Step 4: Pour in 5 cups vegetable stock, add 1 bay leaf and 1 pinch ground cumin and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the bread has swollen and the soup is thick and brick red. Season with ½ tsp salt.
10 minStep 5: Crack 4 eggs into the soup one at a time, spacing them out. Cover and simmer very gently for 3–4 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks still runny.
4 minStep 6: Remove the bay leaf. Ladle into warm bowls with an egg in each, scatter with 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley and serve at once.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sopa de ajo take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of sweet smoked paprika (pimentón de la vera)?
- Sweet paprika + a pinch of chipotle or a drop of liquid smoke.
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