Sopa de Ajo - Spanish Garlic Soup

This recipe is based on Savoring Spain & Portugal from Williams-Sonoma...

6 tbsp olive oil - the best you have

12 cloves garlic - thickly sliced

12 thinly sliced course country bread cut into 1 1/2" chunks (When Pigs Fly Tuscan Wheat)

2 tea sweet paprika

6 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

6 eggs

 chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil.  Add the garlic cloves and saute until golden and fragrant 3 - 4 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic and set aside for later.  Add the bread pieces into the olive oil, stir occasionally until golden brown.  Set the bread pieces aside, evenly distributed among 6 large soup bowls.  In the same pan, add the paprika, the reserved garlic, and the stock.  Bring to a simmer & cook for 10 or 15 minutes until very fragrant & the garlic pieces are soft.  

In another large shallow pan, bring 2" of salted water to a simmer.  Gently crack the eggs one at a time into a shallow bowl.  Swirl the simmering water with a slotted spoon, turn off the heat.  Gently drop each egg into the water.  Swirling the water gently after adding each egg.  Cover when you've added them all.  Let sit covered for 4 minutes. You want the eggs to be gently set, since they will cook a bit  more in the broth.

Ladle the soup over the bread.  Don't be shy about the garlic pieces, that's the whole point!  Gently remove the eggs and top each bowl with one.  Sprinkle with the parsley.  

Enjoy!