Spanish Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Sopa de Ajo
Humble Castilian garlic soup — stale bread, pimentón, and poached eggs simmered in a deeply savoury broth that warms you from the inside out.
Contains common allergens
In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.
Good to know
- One-pot
- Ready in under 30 minutes
Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners30-minute meals
Instructions
7 steps- 1
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and gently fry the sliced garlic until golden but not browned, about 2-3 minutes.
- 2
Add the stale bread cubes and toast them in the garlicky oil for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until lightly crisped.
- 3
Remove the pot from the heat briefly and stir in the pimentón, coating the bread quickly to avoid burning the paprika.
- 4
Pour in the stock, return to the heat, and bring to a simmer, then cook for 10-15 minutes until the bread has broken down and thickened the broth slightly.
- 5
Season with salt, then ladle the soup into individual ovenproof bowls.
- 6
Crack one egg into each bowl and place under a hot broiler, or slide the eggs directly into the simmering pot, poaching for 3-4 minutes until the whites set but the yolks remain soft.
- 7
Scatter with chopped parsley and serve immediately, bubbling hot.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
71/100
Good fit for most families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving510
Calories
21 g
Protein
82 g
Carbs
10 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Sopa de ajo, Castilian garlic soup, is peasant food from the cold central plateau of Spain, built from the cheapest things a kitchen always had: stale bread, garlic, paprika, and water or broth, often enriched with a poached or stirred-in egg. It was sustenance for shepherds and laborers and a traditional cure for cold mornings and long nights. Despite its humble parts, the slow-toasted garlic and paprika give it surprising depth.
Listahan note
This version toasts the garlic and blooms the paprika in oil before the broth goes in, then finishes with bread and egg for a warming bowl. It is built to turn pantry staples into a soul-warming soup in under half an hour.
Technique cues
- Fry the garlic slowly until golden, not brown; burnt garlic turns the whole soup bitter and there is no recovering it.
- Stir the paprika into the warm oil off direct high heat so it blooms and colors the soup without scorching.
- Add the stale bread early so it has time to break down and thicken the broth into something more than water.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Slice the garlic and tear the bread while the broth heats, so the soup builds in one steady sequence.
- Make-ahead
- Make the garlic-paprika broth ahead and refrigerate, then reheat and add fresh bread and egg just before serving so they stay fresh.
- Leftover move
- Thin leftover soup with a little broth and crack in a fresh egg to revive it for a quick next-day lunch.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Rinse the pot right after serving before the paprika oil dries onto the sides.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
Garlic cloves
The defining flavor
Purpose: A generous amount of slowly fried garlic is the entire backbone of this soup.
Handling: Slice thin and fry gently in oil until golden and sweet.
Adaptation: There is no substitute; this is a garlic soup, so use plenty and fry it carefully.
Stale bread
Body and thickener
Purpose: Old bread softens into the broth and gives the soup its rustic, hearty texture.
Handling: Tear or slice and add to the broth to soften and partly dissolve.
Adaptation: Toasted fresh bread works, or gluten-free bread dried in the oven for dietary needs.
Smoked paprika (pimenton)
Color and warmth
Purpose: It gives the soup its characteristic red tint and smoky, earthy depth.
Handling: Bloom in the warm garlic oil briefly before adding the broth.
Adaptation: Sweet paprika plus a pinch of smoked salt for the smoky note.
Eggs
Enriching protein
Purpose: Poached or stirred-in egg turns a thin soup into a satisfying meal, the traditional finish.
Handling: Crack into the simmering soup to poach, or whisk in for a ribboned texture.
Adaptation: Omit for a vegan version, leaning on extra bread and broth for body.
Good broth or stock
The liquid base
Purpose: A flavorful chicken or vegetable broth lifts the soup above the water-based original.
Handling: Heat before adding so the soup comes together quickly.
Adaptation: Water with a bouillon cube works in a pinch, the most traditional minimalist version.
Technique notes
- Bake the assembled soup in oven-safe bowls until the egg just sets and the top browns for a heartier baked version.
- A splash of sherry vinegar at the end brightens the rich garlic and paprika beautifully.
- Reserve a few golden garlic slices to scatter on top so the garnish keeps a little crunch against the soft soup.
Ingredient swaps
- Vegan direction
- Skip the egg, use vegetable broth, and finish with a drizzle of good olive oil for richness.
- Gluten-free direction
- Use gluten-free bread dried in the oven so it still thickens the broth properly.
- Lower-sodium direction
- Use low-sodium broth and lean on the garlic, paprika, and a splash of vinegar for flavor.
Serve alongside
- Crusty bread on the side
- A simple green salad
- Manchego and olives
- Roasted peppers
- A light Spanish red
- A dry sherry
- Hot herbal tea for a cozy meal
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Store the broth base without the egg in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat on the stovetop and add fresh bread and a newly poached egg just before serving, since both go soft on storage. The base freezes well for up to two months; add egg and bread fresh after thawing.
Equipment
- A medium soup pot or saucepan
- A ladle
- A slotted spoon for the poached eggs
- A sharp knife for the garlic
Make this household-aware
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Plan it in Listahan
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