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bowl of sopa de ajo Spanish garlic soup with spoon to side
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5 from 3 votes

Sopa de ajo

This easy garlic soup is quick to make, with just a few ingredients, and wonderfully comforting.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Appetizer/Starter, Lunch
Cuisine: Spanish
Servings: 2
Calories: 375kcal
Author: Caroline's Cooking
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Ingredients

  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 3 oz country-style bread 90g, or baguette (gives around 2 cups of diced bread)
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 3 cups light stock 720ml, eg chicken or vegetable
  • 1 tablespoon fino sherry or dry white wine if you don't have any (or 2tbsp, to taste)
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ tablespoon chopped parsley to garnish

Instructions

  • Peel and slice the garlic and cut the bread into a relatively small dice.
  • Warm the oil over a medium heat in a pot/pan large enough to hold the soup. Add the garlic and soften for a minute.
  • Add the bread cubes, toss in the oil and cook for a couple minutes so they gently brown. Keep a close eye on the garlic so that it doesn't brown too much - if it gets a little brown, remove it from the pan until the bread has browned a little.
  • Once the bread is gently brown, add back the garlic if removed, and add the paprika. Stir through to mix. Add the stock and sherry, plus a little salt to taste. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer.
  • Crack the eggs into the soup, cover the pan and leave around 2 minutes so the eggs lightly poach - you want the whites just cooked but the yolk still soft. If needed, spoon a little of the hot stock over the egg to help cook the top.
  • Serve the soup with the egg in the middle of the bowl, with the bread and broth around it, and sprinkle with parsley.

Notes

Increase the quantities of everything equally for more servings - the method is the same, it will just take a little longer to bring the soup to a simmer.
Some versions add the egg more as egg drop - if you prefer this, gently beat the eggs before adding. Stir the soup so it is moving a bit then add the egg and continue to stir so it cooks and separates at the same time. If you choose this method, you will probably need less eggs (even half) but you can judge to taste.
You can use smoky or spicy paprika, as you prefer. Sweet would be fine as well, but the flavor is less distinct so the others add more to the flavor of the dish.
Some versions add some serrano ham into the soup, crisping it slightly with the bread or as a garnish so feel free to add some (or other variations as mentioned above).

Nutrition

Calories: 375kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 432mg | Potassium: 456mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 888IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 3mg