Here’s A Classic Sopa de Ajo Recipe for All That Garlicky Goodness!
Sopa de ajo is Spanish comfort food at its best. It’s a garlic and bread soup that is super comforting and a delicious way to warm you up on a cold day.
Sopa de ajo – which literally means “garlic soup” – is also known as the plural “Sopas de ajo” and “Sopa castellana” or Castillean soup.
This soup was originally created as a way to feed a lot of people with very few ingredients, and also as a way to use stale bread.
It is a prime example of how knowing how to combine and cook very simple ingredients can lead to super delicious food, no matter how simple the ingredients.
Sopa de ajo is considered an “old school” recipe, it’s the classic soup that our grandmas would make for us when we had a cold or flu.
There are a few variations, some with chorizo or serrano ham, others with poached eggs. In any case, this is the recipe my mom used to make when I was growing up, and it’s the one we love at home (though any version of this soup would be delicious).
Ingredients
To make this sopa de ajo recipe, here are the ingredients that you will need. There aren’t very many – so the quality of the individual ingredients is important:
- Garlic cloves – Be sure to use good quality garlic.
- Bread – Preferably stale; sourdough or any bread with a soft interior and crusty exterior is perfect. Avoid using sandwich bread or any overly processed bread.
- Olive oil – A high quality extra virgin olive oil gives this soup a great flavor.
- Smoked paprika – Use mild smoked paprika. If you’re unable to find smoked paprika, you can also use regular paprika, but the flavor will be less intense.
- Water – Traditionally made with water, but you can also use chicken or beef broth for extra flavor.
- Salt – Add more or less to taste.
- Eggs – To make the soup rich and creamy.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
Before you make this Spanish garlic soup, read through these recipe tips so that you end up with the best possible result aka delicious soup.
- Try to use stale crusty bread if possible. You can just let the bread sit out on the counter for a day or two. Stale bread absorbs the flavors better and turns into a creamier consistency.
- If your garlic cloves are very small, feel free to add more than four.
- I like to use two different textures for the garlic – fried in thin slices so you can actually see the slices, and as a paste with the olive oil, salt, and paprika powder so the flavor gets evenly distributed.
- If you decide to use chicken or beef broth instead of water, you may want to reduce the amount of extra salt you add.
- As mentioned above, you can add some diced chorizo or serrano ham if you like. Add them when the garlic and garlic paste are frying, so they have a chance to release their delicious flavors.
- Instead of adding beaten eggs, you can also add them whole and poach them.
- The final consistency should be creamy but a little runny. If you want it to be less runny, you can add less water or adjust it to your liking.
How to Make Sopa de Ajo – Step by Step Instructions
In this section you can follow along with the recipe process photos to see exactly how to make this Spanish garlic soup recipe.
Of course, the detailed recipe card with all the measurements and cooking times is located at the end of this post.
Cut the bread into thin slices first, then into cubes.
Peel the garlic cloves and cut 2 of them into thin slices. Set aside.
Add the other 2 garlic cloves to the mortar with the salt, smoked paprika, and olive oil.
Crush everything until you get a fine paste. If you don’t have a mortar, you can also chop up the garlic very small or press it through a garlic press and mix it well with the other ingredients.
Add the garlic-paprika-paste and the garlic slices to a pot. Fry gently on low heat for a minute.
Mix everything around with a wooden spoon to make sure it does not burn.
Add the diced bread to the pan and mix with the spoon so it absorbs the paste and flavors, toast gently for about 1 minute.
Next, add the water to the pot and cook for 7 minutes on medium-low heat.
Stir regularly so that the bread breaks up a bit.
Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk them with a fork.
Add the beaten eggs to the pot and immediately mix with the wooden spoon so that it gets distributed while being cooked, forming thin threads.
Once the egg is cooked, the soup should have a creamy but slightly runny consistency.
Serve the sopa de ajo immediately. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
Sopa de ajo should be eaten right away because the bread will continue to absorb the liquid and would otherwise make the soup too thick.
However, if you do have any leftovers, you can store them in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Eat them sooner rather than later, though, as the soup tastes better when fresh.
Heat the leftover soup with more water or stock, as it will have thickened in the fridge.
FAQ
Here’s an answer to a frequently asked question about this recipe:
Sopa de ajo is the Spanish term for “garlic soup”. It is made primarily from stale bread, fresh garlic, water, and egg.
Related Recipes
If you liked this recipe for Spanish soup, here are a few more classic Spanish recipes that you might enjoy!
- Gazpacho (Cold Spanish Soup)
- Ensalada Mixta
- Albóndigas en Salsa (Spanish Meatballs)
- Pan Con Tomate (Spanish Tomato Bread)
- Pisto (Spanish Veggie Stew)
- Salmorejo (Spanish Tomato Soup)
Sopa de Ajo (Spanish Garlic Soup)
Ingredients
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3.5 ounces bread, preferably stale
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 3 1/2 cups water, alternatively broth
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, more to taste
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Slice the bread thin, then dice it into cubes.3.5 ounces bread
- Peel the garlic cloves and thinly slice 2 of them. Set aside.4 garlic cloves
- Add the other 2 garlic cloves to the mortar with the salt, smoked paprika, and olive oil. Crush until you have a fine paste.1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the garlic-paprika-paste and the garlic slices to a pot. Fry them gently on low heat for a minute. Stir with a wooden spoon to prevent burning.
- Add the bread cubes to the pan and mix with the spoon so it absorbs the paste and flavors, toast gently for about 1 minute.
- Add the water to the pot and cook over medium-low heat for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up the bread.3 1/2 cups water
- Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk. Add the beaten eggs into the pot and stir immediately with the wooden spoon so it gets distributed while being cooked, forming thin threads.2 eggs
- When the egg is cooked, the soup should have a creamy but slightly runny consistency. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use stale crusty bread for the best result. Stale bread absorbs the flavors better and turns into a creamier consistency.
- If your garlic cloves are very small, feel free to add more than four.
- If you decide to use chicken or beef broth instead of water, you may want to reduce the amount of extra salt you add.
- If you don’t have a mortar, you can chop up the garlic very small or press it through a garlic press and then mix it well with the other ingredients.
- You can add some diced chorizo or serrano ham if you like. Add them when the garlic and garlic paste are frying, so they have a chance to release their delicious flavors.
- Instead of adding beaten eggs, you can also add them whole and poach them.
- If you want the consistency to be less runny, you can add less water or adjust it to your liking.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
