This nourishing soup, rich with the flavor of garlic and paprika and thickened with bread and egg, is the epitome of Spanish cocina pobre, or “cuisine of the poor.” As with most dishes that originated in impoverished times, sopa de ajo is made with just a few simple ingredients that most of us always have in the kitchen.
Humble garlic soups have a long history in Southern and Eastern Europe, and Spain has its own tradition, with many regional variations. The recipe here is the most well known and comes from the northwest region of Castile and León. In fact, the soup is sometimes referred to as sopa castellana.
Sopa de ajo is perfect for a cold and windy winter day, and it makes a quick and simple weeknight meal. It’s simplicity, austerity and lack of meat also make it a common breakfast, lunch or dinner during Lent, especially during Holy Week.
Putting it all together is quite simple. The dish gets its surprisingly full flavor from the garlic and some paprika. A long simmer allows the garlic to mellow and the flavors to meld. The soup’s heft comes from chunks of day-old bread that break down and thicken the soup, as well as from beaten eggs that are gently swished in at the end.
Broth for sopa de ajo
At it’s simplest, sopa de ajo uses nothing fancier than fresh water, making it suitably vegetarian. But if you desire additional flavor, you can use a simple chicken stock. Or meet halfway and use half water and half stock. You can also add a ham bone or ham hock to the simmering soup to give it a gentle smoky flavor.
Sopa de ajo regional variations
For Andalusian-style sopa de ajo, eliminate the paprika. Cooks in la Rioja might add some chopped tomatoes and Guindilla peppers. The people of Segovia prefer ground cumin in their version. Other possible additions include chunks of salt cod, diced ham, slices of chorizo, chopped cauliflower and sauteed mushrooms.
Sopa de Ajo
Course: Soups and StewsCuisine: Spain
This nourishing soup, rich with the flavor of garlic and paprika and thickened with bread and egg, is the epitome of Spanish <em>cocina pobre</em>, or “cuisine of the poor.”
Ingredients
Olive oil — 1/4 cup
Crusty home-style bread, torn into walnut-sized pieces — 3 or 4 cups
Garlic, minced or sliced very thinly — 8 to 10 cloves
Sweet, hot or smoked Spanish paprika — 1 tablespoon
Water or chicken stock — 6 or 7 cups
Salt — to taste
Eggs, lightly beaten — 4
Directions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium flame in a large pot. Add the bread chunks and toss to coat in the oil. Then saute them gently, stirring occasionally, to brown the bread a bit. Remove the toasted bread to a plate or bowl and set aside
- Add the additional 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium-low flame. Add the garlic and saute just until it starts to color. At this point stir in the paprika to evenly coat the garlic.
- Next stir in the water or stock and add the toasted bread back to the pot. Increase the heat to medium and bring the stock to a simmer, seasoning it to taste with salt. Simmer the soup for 30 to 40 minutes. During this time, the garlic will mellow and sweeten, and the bread will break down and thicken the soup.
- Adjust the heat to low. The soup should be very gently simmering, but not boiling. Then pour in the beaten eggs in a steady stream. Let the eggs set for 2 or 3 minutes to cook them through, then gently stir them into the soup.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and serve hot. Sopa de ajo is traditionally served in a clay bowl and is said to be best accompanied by a glass of red, not white, wine.
Sopa de Ajo Notes and Variations
- When the soup has finished, set it under the oven broiler for a minute or two to give it a bit of a tasty crust.
- Stir in a splash of sherry wine sherry vinegar just before serving to brighten the flavor a touch.
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