Description
Classic sopa de ajo (garlic soup) is one of my all-time favorite Spanish comfort foods. It’s easy to make with 6 ingredients in less than 30 minutes, and always tastes so cozy and delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 8 to 10 large cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
- 4 ounces stale bread, thinly sliced or torn into pieces
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika*
- 6 to 7 cups chicken stock (or vegetable broth)
- 4 large eggs, whisked*
- fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Instructions
- Sauté the garlic and bread. Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is fragrant and lightly golden. (It’s important not to overcook the garlic at this point.) Add the smoked paprika and stir to combine. Add the bread and toss until it is more or less evenly coated with the garlic oil. Continue cooking for 3 more minutes, stirring frequently so that the garlic does not burn.
- Simmer. Add 6 cups chicken stock and stir to combine, breaking up the bread with a wooden spoon into your desired size of pieces as it cooks. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a rapid simmer.
- Add the eggs. With one hand, use a wooden spoon to stir the soup in a circular motion to create a slow whirlpool. With the other hand, slowly pour the whisked eggs into the soup as you continue stirring, in order to create egg ribbons.
- Season. If you would like a brothier soup, feel free to add in 1 extra cup of stock. Taste and season the soup with salt, black pepper, and/or additional smoked paprika as desired.
- Serve. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Bread: I recommend some sort of plain bread, such as a basic baguette, for this soup.
Smoked paprika: Be sure that your smoked paprika is nice and fresh, otherwise its vibrant flavor and color in this soup will be diminished.
Eggs: Please see notes in the post above if you prefer poached eggs instead of egg ribbons in this soup.