Cuban Garlic Soup Sopa De Ajo Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S SPANISH GARLIC SOUP (SOPA DE AJO)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Spread French bread onto the prepared baking sheet and drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the top; gently stir to coat bread.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crispy and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Cook and stir garlic in hot oil until just golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add ham; cook and stir until heated through, about 1 minute. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of paprika and cook for 1 minute more. Pour bread into pot and toss to coat with hot oil mixture.
• Pour chicken broth into bread mixture; add cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and stir in parsley.
• Crack each egg into a small bowl or cup. Make 4 depressions in the bread on top of the soup with a spoon. Slowly pour an egg into each depression. Cover the pot with a lid and cook until egg whites are firm and yolks are thick but not hard, 2 to 3 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and spoon an egg on top.

CUBAN GARLIC SOUP (SOPA DE AJO)

Steps:

• In an 8-quart stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the bread and saute until the cubes just begin to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant, 1 minute.
• Using a wooden spoon, mash the garlic and bread together. Add tomatoes, paprika, bay leaf, chicken broth and sherry. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• In a small bowl, add about 3 Tablespoons of the hot soup to the egg yolks, beating constantly to temper them. Add yolk mixture to the soup, whisking constantly and quickly until smooth. Add unbeaten egg whites to soup in stockpot in a steady stream while whisking quickly until all are mixed. Return soup to heat to warm.
• Remove and discard bay leaf, garnish with parsley if desired and serve.

SOPA DE AJO (GARLIC SOUP)

Steps:

• Cut the white bread into cubes. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and fry the bread cubes in it until golden brown. Add the garlic and let it color a little. Season with the paprika powders and salt and pour on the meat stock. Cover and leave to simmer for about 15 minutes. Fill 4 earthenware bowls with soup. Carefully slip 1 egg into each bowl and leave to cook in a preheated oven at about 390 degree F for around 10 minutes. Serve the soup very hot.

BASQUE GARLIC AND BREAD SOUP ( SOPA DE AJO)

Steps:

• In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
• Add the garlic, and fry it, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 2 to 3 minutes, until it is golden.
• Take care the garlic does not burn.
• Add the bread, and turn it several times so that it absorbs the oil.
• Sprinkle it with the paprika, and toss well.
• Add the water or broth, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring, until the soup is heated through and well blended and the bread has absorbed much of the liquid.
• Season to taste with salt and, if you like, the pepper flakes.
• Just before serving the soup, crack the eggs, and slide them onto the surface of the soup, taking care not to break the yolks.
• Let the eggs cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until they are set.
• Serve the soup by spooning it gently into shallow bowls, allowing 1 egg per serving.