Portuguese Soup Recipe: Bread, Egg, and Garlic
A zesty combination of Portuguese bread, eggs, garlic and cilantro
Nov 8, 2009
For a quick and delicious appetizer, try this easy soup recipe from the Alentejo region of Portugal. The dish, which combines eggs, garlic, and Portuguese bread, is a simple garlic soup with an ample dose of salt and cilantro. Add bacalhau—or boiled cod—to turn this appetizer into a tasty main course.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 loaf day-old Portuguese bread, cut into slices
- 4 large garlic cloves, peeled
- 3 cups fresh cilantro
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 6 eggs
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cod fillets (optional)
- 8 cups water
Portuguese Garlic Soup Recipe:
- Place the garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper in a food processor; beat into a paste. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and add olive oil. Stir.
- Set a large pan on the stove on high heat. Add water; bring to a boil and lower heat to medium. Break the eggs into the pan and allow to poach. When the eggs have turned white, set heat on low and let simmer.
- Toast three slices of Portuguese bread for every bowl you plan to serve. Make sure the bread is cut into thin, small slices.
- Pour the hot water and eggs into the large bowl with the garlic paste. Mix with a ladle—gently, so as not to puncture the egg yolks—until the paste is thoroughly mixed into the water.
- Place three slices of toasted bread at the bottom of a bowl. Pick up one or two eggs with a slotted spoon and set in a bowl. Fill the rest of the bowl with soup and serve.
- Optional: To add boiled cod, set two cod fillets in the water before you poach the eggs. Boil thoroughly, then remove from water with a fork and set on a paper towel. Cut into small chunks and add to the soup before serving.
Tips for the Perfect Garlic Soup
Buy Portuguese bread if you can. While French bread will suffice, bread from an authentic Portuguese bakery will taste best in the original recipe.
Buy fresh cilantro and garlic. Most of the flavor in the broth stems from these two herbs, so make sure you buy high-quality vegetables and wash them thoroughly.
Keep bits of egg white in the water. These mix with the garlic and cilantro paste and absorb more flavor, as well as providing an excellent source of protein.
If you choose to add cod, cook it thoroughly. Stray pieces of uncooked fish can remain in the water and ruin the broth when you add the eggs.
Substitute the water with a premade stock if you want more flavor. Both chicken and seafood stock work well; however, if you use chicken stock, omit the cod, as the two flavors will not mesh well.
Make sure to grind the cilantro and garlic thoroughly. This will release the juices in both vegetables and give the soup an even consistency.
