more Spanish soup

Yet another soup from The Complete Spanish Cookbook by Pepita Aris: Sopa Castiliana, a dark garlic and paprika soup.

Ingredients... note that I'm using whole garlic cloves instead of pre-minced garlic.
It's all for the soup.
The bread is Moroccan olive bread from Trader Joe's.
Any day-old bread will do.

Fry the garlic cloves in a little olive oil...

The recipe calls for four cloves but I used eight.
What can I say? I loves the taste of garlic, it is my precioussss!

While the garlic fries, slice up your stale bread.

on the slant = fancy

Don't forget to turn the cloves! When they brown on all sides, transfer to a plate.

smells good already

Fry the bread slices in the garlicky oil...

So yummy!

And set the bread aside.

Now this part is tricky... feel free to add a little more olive oil since the bread has probably sopped it all up. Heat the oil and add 1 tablespoon of paprika to the pot. Cook for just a few seconds or else...

burning! When Pepita says a few seconds,
she means a few seconds.
Set off my fire alarm again.

So since I set off my fire alarm and embarassed myself as my landlord rushed down to see what the hullabaloo was about, I had to take a break while fanning the steam and smoke out the window. And I had to start the paprika thing over. So listen up and cook the paprika in oil for no more than ten seconds.

here we go again

Stir, stir, stir, then add four cups of beef stock.

Once you add the beef stock, the paprika can't burn.

Add 1/4 teaspoon of cumin and at least 3 more tablespoons of paprika. Paprika's bark is worse than its bite and isn't really very spicy. Instead, paprika adds beautiful color and, if you add enough, a sweet smokiness with a hint of heat. I myself would've added more but I ran out.

spice of life

Add the reserved garlic cloves and crush them with the back of a spoon to release the lovely pungent garlic flavor.

The instructions don't say to do so but I'm a big fan of boiling your soup for a few minutes - you know, unless there's some dairy in there. So I suggest you bring this concoction to boiling.

this aroma will whet your appetite

To make it really hearty, add an egg or two to the soup. The cookbook advises ladling the soup and eggs into ceramic bowls and setting the eggs in the oven but I don't need that extra fancy step. I poached them directly in the pot.

Omit egg for a purely vegetarian soup.

Just add those fried bread slices, sprinkle in some parsley, and enjoy!

Dinner

Taste test: as predicted, the soup is rich but looks spicier than it tastes. The smoky paprika gives the soup its hearty character without elevating the Scoville count. If you like it hot, feel free to add whatever spices you like - cayenne, anybody?