Sopa de Ajo (Garlic Soup)

Sopa de ajo (aka garlic soup) sounds a little weird right?  I thought so.  I know it's a totally traditional Spanish dish, but I have never been inspired to try it or make it at home.  But we had some stale bread in the apartment and Alex wanted to use it, so I found this Mario Batali recipe online at Serious Eats for sopa de ajo with poached eggs.  I have to admit, the poached eggs were what really sold me on this recipe.  Well, that and the fact that we had everything we needed in the apartment (which is a huge plus on a rainy weeknight).  This soup is simple and very satisfying, with a pleasing richness from the poached egg.  It's the perfect type of soup to eat when you are feeling a little under the weather or when the weather outside just isn't so great.  One note - depending on the type of bread you use you might have to play with the ratio of broth to bread a little - ours got really thick, almost oatmeal-like, because we used a fairly hearty bread (and probably because Alex used more than 1/4 pound on accident).  As far as meals go, it was comforting and tasty.  We served it with a nice salad, and it was a perfect meal for a rainy Tuesday night.

Recipe after the jump!

 

Sopa de Ajo (Garlic Soup)

Adapted from Serious Eats

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp evoo, plus additional for serving

1/4 lb stale bread, crusts removed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp Spanish pimenton

s&p

4 cups chicken stock (plus additional if necessary)

2 poached eggs

1 tsp fresh chives, finely chopped, for garnish

Heat the evoo in a dutch oven, add the bread and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until golden brown.  Add the garlic, pimenton and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 3 minutes or until very fragrant.  Add the stock and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and gently simmer for about 15 minutes or until bread is very soft.  Season with s&p to taste.

Ladle soup into bowls and add a poached egg into each bowl.  Drizzle with evoo and garnish with chives.

Serve.