Sopa Castellana: Spanish style garlic soup recipe

We wanted to make a delicious Spanish soup that is warm & comforting as the winter is here and we are cozying up at home most of the time. We decided to make Sopa Castellana (or Sopa de Ajo), which does not require many ingredients and is very easy to make, and shoot a video. While I was shooting this recipe video with my husband, I learned a few things about this soup from my husband and I wanted to share it with you.

Sopa Castellana has got this name because it comes from the "Castilla" region in the middle of Spain and is one of the traditional dishes of Spain. Originally, it emerged as a hearty meal that does not require long preparation, which shepherds who graze sheep in nature can easily make and eat wherever they go with a few simple ingredients they take with them. Indeed, while we were making and eating this soup at home, I had this image in my mind. I guess I would like to eat such a warm and filling dish as well if I were tired of wandering in the countryside with my sheep… I was very fond of this soup before I learned this information, but after hearing its story, I loved it even more.

Now let's get to the preparation...

Ingredients (for 2 people)

- 4 slices of stale or toasted bread

- 4 slices of ham

- 5 cloves of garlic

- 800 ml water

- 2 eggs

- olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pot)

- 2-3 teaspoons of paprika - salt & black pepper

Preparation:

First, take the garlic and slice it thinly. We also take the bacon slices and dice them. We take slices of stale bread and cut them into large pieces as well. Then we put enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan and after the oil heats up a little over medium heat, we add the garlic and start cooking. Immediately after, we add the bacon into it. Then, we put the pieces of bread on top and mix them. Add 2-3 teaspoons of sweet red pepper (paprika) on it. Since the red pepper will burn quickly, we put it later than the others and continue to mix. After the peppers are mixed with the other ingredients, we add 800ml of water to the pot. Then, you can add as much salt and black pepper as you want. Close the lid and let it cook for 10-15 minutes. After the water boils and changes color, we break two eggs into it. We close the lid and wait for another 5 minutes for the egg to cook and it's ready!

Actually, the Spaniards call it soup, but I think it's a meal in itself. There is meat, bread and eggs in it. Quite filling. The day we did it, I had only this soup for dinner after the video shoot and it filled me up a lot.

You can also watch the recipe video here:

¡Buen provecho! Enjoy!