Vegetarian, European
Castilian garlic soup with poached egg
Castilian garlic soup is a broth thickened with stale bread, flavored with sweet and smoked paprika, served with a poached egg for 4 people. It takes 30 minutes, rates as easy, and costs €1.30 per person. The key to getting it right is using properly stale bread, which thickens the broth without turning mushy.
It's chilly out, so I'm making Castilian garlic soup, a comforting paprika broth with a poached egg that cooks right in the bowl.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cost per person
- €1.30
- Calories per person
- 360 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
- Season
- Winter, Fall
This soup comes straight from Castile, where stale bread never goes to waste. The broth, colored and flavored by the two paprikas, turns almost creamy once the bread melts into it. Slow cooked garlic loses its sharp bite and leaves behind a round, slightly sweet flavor that carries the whole bowl.
It's the dish for a winter evening when you come home frozen and want something that actually warms you up, without spending hours in the kitchen. Mon Chou suggests it for weeknight dinners, whether it's just you or the whole family, when the fridge is nearly empty but you still have bread, garlic, and eggs on hand.
The ingredients
Bakery
- Stale country bread 250 g
Fruits and vegetables
- Garlic 8 cloves
- Parsley 1 bunch
Pantry
- Vegetable brothoften in the pantry 1.2 l
- Sweet paprikaoften in the pantry 2 tsp
- Smoked paprikaoften in the pantry 1 tsp
- Olive oiloften in the pantry 5 tbsp
- Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
- Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch
Dairy
- Eggs 4
Allergens Gluten, Eggs
The step by step recipe
-
Peel the garlic and slice it thin. Cut the bread into thin slices.
If your bread is still fresh, toast the slices in a low oven for five minutes to dry them out.
-
Brown the garlic in the olive oil over medium heat, then add the bread and cook for two minutes. 4 min
Remove the garlic as soon as it turns light gold, if it browns too much it gives the soup a bitter taste.
-
Off the heat, sprinkle in both paprikas, stir quickly, then pour in the hot broth.
Paprika burns within seconds, which is why you take the pan off the heat before adding it.
-
Let it simmer gently until the bread has melted in, mash it with a spoon, then season with salt and pepper. 15 min
Taste before salting, the broth is often already salty enough.
-
Crack an egg into a ladle and slide it into the simmering soup, let it poach for three minutes, then serve with parsley. 3 min
For a neatly rounded egg, swirl the soup gently before sliding the egg in.
Our tips to get it right
- Pick a dense country loaf rather than a baguette, it holds up better during cooking and gives the soup a thicker texture.
- Keep the soup at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil, otherwise the bread breaks into small chunks instead of melting into a smooth texture.
- Crack the egg into a ladle, then lower the ladle gently to the surface of the simmering broth, this keeps the white from scattering into thin strands.
The variations
- Swap the vegetable broth for chicken broth if you don't need to keep the dish vegetarian.
- Add a few strips of serrano ham sautéed with the garlic for a richer, more traditional version.
- To save time, skip the poached egg and simply beat an egg and pour it in a thin stream into the hot broth, like an egg drop soup.
What to serve it with
- A green salad with lemon dressing
- A glass of grape juice
- Extra slices of toasted bread
Storage
This soup keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container, without the poached egg, which is best made right before serving. It doesn't freeze well, since the bread changes texture once thawed. Reheat it gently in a saucepan, adding a splash of broth or water if it has thickened too much.
Questions about this dish
Can you use fresh bread instead of stale bread?
Yes, but toast the slices in a low oven for five minutes first. Bread that's too fresh falls apart in the broth instead of thickening it properly.
Can you make the base of the soup ahead of time?
Yes, you can prepare the bread broth up through the simmering step and keep it in the fridge for a few hours. Reheat it gently, then poach the eggs right before serving.
How do you poach an egg without vinegar in the broth?
Crack the egg into a ladle, then gently lower the ladle to the surface of the simmering broth. The white stays gathered around the yolk without needing any vinegar.
Can smoked paprika be replaced with sweet paprika only?
Yes, the soup will be a bit less smoky but just as flavorful. Sweet paprika alone gives a milder taste closer to a simple traditional soup.
How long does it take to make a Castilian garlic soup with a poached egg?
Count 30 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.
How many calories are in a Castilian garlic soup with a poached egg?
About 360 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.
How much does a Castilian garlic soup with a poached egg cost?
About €1.30 per serving, or €5.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.
What allergens does this recipe contain?
This recipe contains gluten, eggs. Always check the labels of the products you buy.
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