Castilian Garlic Soup Version 2

Garlic soup was a staple during hard times in Spain. Since then it has become a favorite dish in the finest restaurants. There are many variations, and this is a simple one to which you can add your favorite ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 quart of water

4 tbsp chopped garlic

1 three-inch section of day-old French bread, or other coarse crusty bread

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp bittersweet smoked paprika (Pimentón de la Vera)

4 eggs

Preparation:

Heat water and add garlic. While garlic cooks (5 - 10 minutes), slice the bread very thinly and fry it in the olive oil, sprinkling a little pimentón and salt in the oil. Add the bread and oil to the water and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. You can leave the soup for several hours at this stage.

Just before serving, break each egg in turn into a ladle and lower into soup. Stir ladle to break up the eggs. Serve immediately into deep bowls.

This is a great appetizer soup, or a nice warm meal for a winter day.

Recipe courtesy of Spain GourmeTour magazine.