Garlic Soup

Garlic soup  is primarily a broth with bread and other ingredients. This dish can be considered a “hero”, as it has saved many people from hunger. Its origin occurs in circles of poverty, as a nutritious alternative for the population.

This dish comes from the Middle Ages and, as it became popular and gained followers, it also had many variations. In fact, a very common way to find it is in French soup, where garlic is simply replaced by onion.

Garlic soup recipe

Ingredients

• 3 garlic cloves
• Serrano ham in squares
• Peppers
• Stale bread
• 2 eggs
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Cumin
• 1 liter of meat broth

Preparation

1. The first thing you should do is cut the garlic into thin slices, as thin as you can.
2. Cut the bread into small circles, keep in mind that the bread grows a lot when it gets wet.
3. Heat a little olive oil in a saucepan and fry the garlic slices over medium heat. You should keep a close eye on them to prevent them from burning.
4. Once the garlic begins to brown, you can add the julienned paprika and the pieces of bread that you previously cut.
5. Stir all the ingredients very well and lower the heat to prevent them from burning.
6. Add the diced ham and stir again so that all the ingredients are well integrated.
7. Let the ham fry for two or three minutes and add the broth.
8. Mix and add the crushed cumin in a mortar,  let everything simmer with the lid on for at least 15 minutes. Rectify the salt and add a little pepper if you prefer.
9. R Stir the eggs and add them to the soup a few minutes before the end of cooking. Mix everything slowly so that the eggs curdle into fine strands.
10. Once the egg has set, you can remove the soup from the heat, let it cool for a few minutes and take it to the table while it is still smoking.

Garlic soup is a delicious starter for meat dishes or heavy meals.

Additional tips

• It is important not to confuse this soup with the Castilian soup, because although the base is the same and they originated in the same region, they have another way of preparing it, as well as different ingredients.
• For bread,  the loaf is recommended, but you can use the one you like the most, as long as it is not sweet.
• As a broth you can use the base you prefer, whether it is chicken, pork, beef or vegetables. If you don’t have a base stock, dissolve two bouillon cubes in a liter of water.
• This recipe can be prepared in cream, replacing half of the broth with milk or heavy cream and flour. You must stir frequently so that the cream thickens, in addition to giving it a longer cooking time so that it reaches the necessary consistency.