Spanish Garlic And Vegetable Soup 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.

GARLIC SOUP, SPANISH-STYLE, WITH EGG

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add garlic and saute over medium heat until the garlic is barely golden. Remove the garlic from the pan, draining as much oil as possible back into the pan.
• Saute the bread slices in the oil remaining in the pan until the bread is golden brown. Remove the croutons from the pan.
• Add the sweet and hot peppers and saute over low heat until the sweet peppers are tender. Stir in the stock and return the garlic to the saucepan. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste and season with salt if necessary.
• Just before serving, warm each of four soup plates, then place a crouton in each plate. Carefully break an egg on top of each crouton then ladle the simmering soup over the egg and crouton. Sprinkle with parsley and serve at once.