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Sopa De Ajo (Garlic Soup)

Sopa de Ajo (Garlic Soup)

Sopa de Ajo, or Roasted Garlic Soup, is so satisfying and has so many layers of flavor no one would
guess it comes together in a little over 30 minutes. The roasted garlic doesn’t just deepen the flavor, but also helps to thicken the soup.

Ani’s Abuela Oliva was an incredible cook. She was very good at making simple things very well and this is the perfect example of that. Abuela Olivia used to blend bread into the soup but Ani has found that it doesn’t need it. It’s much lighter and cleaner tasting without the bread.

We made this the other day for lunch and by we, we mean Ani. The soup on its own is absolutely delicious, but the preparation of the lightly beaten egg in the bowl is just the right touch to put this dish over the top. The egg swirls into the broth so perfectly giving the right creamy note to balance with the roasted garlic and paprika flavor.

Chef’s Kiss.

Sopa de Ajo (Garlic Soup)

Recipe by Abuela's CounterCourse: SoupsCuisine: CubanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of peeled garlic cloves

  • 4 cups of chicken broth

  • 2 tablespoons of good quality smoked paprika

  • 6 bay leaves

  • 2 sprigs of thyme

  • ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 cup of white wine (I like albarino or sauvignon blanc for this)

  • Salt and freshly cracked pepper

  • Optional for Serving– 8 eggs (1 egg per bowl)

Directions

  • Place the paprika, garlic cloves, bay leaves and thyme in a large
    saucepot. Turn the heat to medium heat and add the oil, 1
    teaspoon of salt and freshly cracked pepper. Cook for 15 minutes.
    Expect the paprika will darken and the garlic will begin to soften and turn
    golden light brown.sopa de ajo (garlic soup)
  • Raise the heat to high and add 1 cup of white wine. Reduce for 5
    minutes on high heat.

    sopa de ajo (garlic soup)
  • Add the broth. Boil on high for 5 minutes then set the heat
    to a very low setting and cover. Simmer for 30-40 minutes. You know it is ready when the
    garlic is very soft and can easily break down once you
    squish it. Taste it for seasoning. It may need more salt at this
    point.
    sopa de ajo (garlic soup)
  • Turn off the heat. Remove the bay leaves and thyme.
    If you are using an Immersion Blender you can do so immediately
    in the pot. If you are using a high speed blender, add the soup to
    the blender (you may need to work in batches). *VERY IMPORTANT Instead of closing
    it with the fitted top, use a dish towel to cover the top so the
    steam can escape. (If not the hot liquid could explode)
  • At this point, you have two serving choices.
    First, you can serve the soup hot with a sprinkling of parsley.
    Second option (the most traditional) lends a creamy texture to the soup.
    Raise the heat to high and be sure the soup is boiling. Then crack an egg in each serving bowl and lightly beat it. Add the boiling hot soup to the bowl and stir. The egg will cook and swirl
    in the broth. Top with parsley and regardless of which method you choose, serve with crusty bread for dipping.

Notes

  • We do not like to add the egg directly to the soup because it does not hold well for next day.