Spanish Garlic Soup: Sopa de Ajo
This is one of those simple, but outstanding bread soups which seem to be available in so many cultures; although understandably so, as they are great ways to use up bread before it gets moldy, which can easily happen with bread not loaded with preservatives. The Spanish have many variations for garlic soup, with some of the variations being subtle. This is my adaptation of the garlic soups more commonly found around Castile in northwestern Spain. If you don't like spicy hot food, you can use all sweet paprika and just a pinch of cayenne pepper, or just flip flop the paprika amounts by using 1 1/2 tablespoons sweet paprika and 1 teaspoon of hot paprika. You can also beat some eggs and drizzle them into the simmering soup and gently mix the egg into the soup to form strands of egg.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
5 slices dried Italian bread, cut into about 1 inch pieces
10 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1 1/2 tablespoons hot Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon sweet Spanish paprika
4 cups chicken stock
eggs (1 per serving)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste (remember, the chicken broth likely has salt)
In a pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Lightly toast the bread pieces in the hot olive oil for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the garlic, paprika and the remainder of the olive oil, stir well and allow the garlic to begin to soften. Add the chicken stock and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the soup for about 5 minutes. Add a couple of eggs to the top of the simmering soup (it should be fairly thick, because of the bread), cover the pan and poach the eggs for a few minutes until they are cooked to your preference.
The egg white has been covered and colored by the paprika laced broth, but believe me, it is there ...
WORD HISTORY:
Epitaph-This compound word is composed of "epi-" which goes back to Indo European "epi," which meant, "on, upon, at, near." This gave Ancient Greek (transliterated) "epi," used as a word forming part meaning, "upon, near;" thus also, "in addition." It is part of quite a number of words, including "epicenter," "epidermis" and "epidemic," none of which are native English words, but rather borrowings that have enriched the English language, as in the famous song, "I've Got You Under My Epidermis" ... ah, I think I've got the title wrong? haha! The second part of the word goes back to Indo European "dhembh," meaning, "to bury." This gave transliterated Ancient Greek "thapto/tapto," also meaning, "bury, inter," which produced the noun, "tăphos," meaning, "burial, tomb, common practice of a funeral." Together these gave transliterated Greek the adjective "epitaphios," meaning, "having to do with a burial or funeral." This then produced the noun "epitaphion," meaning, "the words spoken at a funeral;" thus, "eulogy, public speech at a funeral," and this was borrowed by Latin as "epitaphium," with the same meaning. This passed into Old French, a Latin-based language, as "epitaphe," but more so with the meaning, "words written about a person for a funeral;" thus also, "an inscription for the deceased's burial." English borrowed the word in the mid 1300s, and it has developed the meaning further to, "inscription on a tombstone or on some other memorial to a deceased person."
Ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
5 slices dried Italian bread, cut into about 1 inch pieces
10 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1 1/2 tablespoons hot Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon sweet Spanish paprika
4 cups chicken stock
eggs (1 per serving)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste (remember, the chicken broth likely has salt)
In a pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Lightly toast the bread pieces in the hot olive oil for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the garlic, paprika and the remainder of the olive oil, stir well and allow the garlic to begin to soften. Add the chicken stock and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the soup for about 5 minutes. Add a couple of eggs to the top of the simmering soup (it should be fairly thick, because of the bread), cover the pan and poach the eggs for a few minutes until they are cooked to your preference.
The egg white has been covered and colored by the paprika laced broth, but believe me, it is there ...
Epitaph-This compound word is composed of "epi-" which goes back to Indo European "epi," which meant, "on, upon, at, near." This gave Ancient Greek (transliterated) "epi," used as a word forming part meaning, "upon, near;" thus also, "in addition." It is part of quite a number of words, including "epicenter," "epidermis" and "epidemic," none of which are native English words, but rather borrowings that have enriched the English language, as in the famous song, "I've Got You Under My Epidermis" ... ah, I think I've got the title wrong? haha! The second part of the word goes back to Indo European "dhembh," meaning, "to bury." This gave transliterated Ancient Greek "thapto/tapto," also meaning, "bury, inter," which produced the noun, "tăphos," meaning, "burial, tomb, common practice of a funeral." Together these gave transliterated Greek the adjective "epitaphios," meaning, "having to do with a burial or funeral." This then produced the noun "epitaphion," meaning, "the words spoken at a funeral;" thus, "eulogy, public speech at a funeral," and this was borrowed by Latin as "epitaphium," with the same meaning. This passed into Old French, a Latin-based language, as "epitaphe," but more so with the meaning, "words written about a person for a funeral;" thus also, "an inscription for the deceased's burial." English borrowed the word in the mid 1300s, and it has developed the meaning further to, "inscription on a tombstone or on some other memorial to a deceased person."
Labels: bread, English, etymology, French, garlic, garlic soup, Greek, Latin, recipes, Sopa de Ajo, soup, Spain, Spanish Garlic Soup, Spanish paprika, Spanish recipes
posted by Randy at 12:41 PM
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