Castilian Garlic Soup

Castilian Garlic Soup (Sopa de Ajo) originated as as peasant dish by Spanish shepherds, where garlic and leftover bread were used to make a hot meal on a cold night. On a basic level, it is quite simple (or austere?): bread, water, garlic, paprika and eggs. But when other goodies are added (such as Serrano ham), this dish can become something quite delicious!

I learned this dish while attending an intensive course at Le Cordon Bleu school in Madrid. To elevate this soup beyond the austerity level, we used chicken stock instead of water, then added some ham in the body, plus some crunchy serrano ham sprinkled on top.

We also added some choricero dried peppers which we re-hydrated and then cut into small pieces. Choricero peppers are an important part of Spanish cooking- you’ll find them in dishes such as marmitako and sulkaki, a Basque stew. Since I didn’t have access to these peppers, I used a little jalapeño pepper, but this is optional. (You could also substitute ancho chiles for the choricero pepper).

Choricero dried peppers

Caution: you will hardly notice the garlic!

You may have already been turned off by the name Garlic Soup! After all, who wants to be around someone who is reeking of garlic? After I told my husband we were going to have ‘Garlic Soup’ for lunch, he had an OMG! kind of reaction. But after eating this dish, he said it was delicious and hardly noticed the garlic!

Basic procedure for making garlic soup

First you slice some day-old bread thinly, then toast it lightly in a pan on the stovetop. Place the bread on the bottom of a casserole or terra cotta cazuela, then add sautéed onions, garlic, smoked ham, paprika, and chile peppers (if using). Add water or chicken stock on top and cook for 10-15 minutes. Then add the eggs and bake in the oven until the egg whites are set, and garnish with crunchy baked serrano ham or prosciutto.

Castilian Garlic Soup
Print Recipe
Serves: 6 Cooking Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

4 Tbsps. olive oil

6 pieces day-old hard white bread, sliced thinly

5 whole garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 Tbsps. chopped onion

½ cup ham, cubed

½ jalapeño or red chile pepper (optional)

1 Tbsp. Spanish smoked paprika (pimenton)

6 cups hot chicken stock or boiling water

6 medium or large eggs

Garnish:

4-5 slices of serrano ham or prosciutto

Several sprigs parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

1

Pre-heat oven to 350 F (180 C).

2

Place the slices of serrano ham or prosciutto on a parchment-lined tray. Cover with another piece of parchment paper and place a second tray on top; bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the meat becomes ‘crunchy.’ Remove from oven and chop into fine pieces.

3

In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the bread in batches and fry both sides until golden brown (about 2 minutes each side). Remove bread from pan and let drain on paper towels.

4

Add more oil to the pan (if required) and lightly fry the onion, garlic pieces, ham, and chopped jalapeno or red chile pepper (if using) about 3-4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the paprika pimenton seasoning.

5

Transfer the bread to one large casserole dish or divide between two smaller 9-inch oven-proof terra cotta dishes (cazuelas). Arrange the bread in a single layer. Add the garlic/ham mixture on top of the bread pieces, then pour the hot water or chicken stock on top. Place the casserole dish or cazuelas back onto the stovetop and bring the contents to a boil; reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Crack the eggs on top and transfer to the oven for 10-15 minutes until the egg whites are set, but yolks still soft. Garnish with finely chopped parsley and the ‘crunchy’ serrano ham or prosciutto (from step #2 above).

Notes

You could also wait to add the toasted bread pieces toward the end- right before adding the eggs. This will leave the bread more firm, rather than soaking into the soup.