Sopa de ajo or soup of garlic is a traditional Spanish garlic soup made with bread, smoky paprika, jamon, lard, egg poached in chicken broth and laced garlic and sherry. It was a dish that started life as a poor man’s porridge in the plains of Castile but today it is the region’s gastronomic symbol. I had it for the first time in Zaragoza at the traditional Aragon restaurant, but it was something that I did not really enjoy as I could not stomach the lard that was used.
Here is my healthy clean version, made with poached egg, frozen vegetables in chicken broth and laced with garlic and a little white wine. I made it gluten free hence no bread was added. Not traditional I know but it was yummy and comforting.
For a vegetarian version, use vegetable stock instead.
Serves 4.
You’ll need:
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil + a little more for garnishing
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 800 ml chicken broth ( I used store bought in Andorra, and it was cloudy as the pack I bought was a stock cooked for 4 hours so had some bits of collagen in.)
- 4 poached eggs (see link on how to get perfect poached eggs without vinegar)
- 200g frozen mixed vegetables (optional or add less if your wish)
- 50ml white wine
- salt to taste
- For garnishing: Freshly chopped parsley leaves and a squeeze of lemon.
- Shaved parmesan cheese (optional)
- A sprinkle of sweet paprika (optional)
Directions:
- Pour the olive oil into a pot. Turn the heat to low and add the garlic and a pinch of salt. Remove half the garlic slices from the pot to be used as garnishing. Add the frozen vegetables and stir for 3 minutes.
- Pour in the stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the white wine.
- Poach the eggs one at a time (see link above)
- Ladle some soup into a bowl with the vegetables and top with a poached egg.
- Garnish with some chopped parsley leaves, fried garlic slices and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
- Optional: a squeeze of lemon juice, some parmesan cheese shavings and a sprinkle of sweet smoky paprika.
Sopa de ajo with poached egg and gluten free
Sopa de ajo: egg porn!