Sopa de ajo

Name: Sopa de ajo
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 4 tbsp olive oil; 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced; 60 g prosciutto / dry-cured ham, jamón serrano, diced (optional); 150 g crusty bread / baguette, stale, thinly sliced; 2 tsp paprika, smoked (pimentón); 1.2 l chicken stock; ¼ tsp salt; 4 eggs; 1 tbsp parsley, chopped (optional)

Non-vegetarian

A frugal Castilian soup of garlic fried in olive oil with smoked paprika and stale bread, simmered in broth and finished with eggs poached in the pot.

Sopa de ajo is a Spanish soup from Spain, ready in about 35 minutes and made with garlic, crusty bread / baguette and paprika. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep: 10 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 35 min
Serves: 4
Level: Easy
Calories: 416

Ingredients

4 servings

4 tbsp (54 g) Olive oil (opens in a new tab)
8 cloves (32 g) Garlic (opens in a new tab), thinly sliced
60 g Prosciutto / dry-cured ham (opens in a new tab), jamón serrano, diced (optional)
150 g Crusty bread / baguette (opens in a new tab), stale, thinly slicedContains wheat, gluten
2 tsp (4.5 g) Paprika (opens in a new tab), smoked (pimentón)
1.2 l Chicken stock (opens in a new tab)Swap: Vegetable stock
¼ tsp (1.5 g) Salt (opens in a new tab)
4 (200 g) Eggs (opens in a new tab)Contains eggs
1 tbsp (3.5 g) Parsley (opens in a new tab), chopped (optional)

Equipment

Stockpot / large pot (opens in a new tab)

Method

1
Step 1
Warm the oil in a pot over medium-low heat and gently fry the garlic (opens in a new tab) (and ham, if using) until pale golden.
- 4 min
- medium-low heat
- Stockpot / large pot (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Add the bread and stir until it soaks up the oil and toasts lightly. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the paprika (opens in a new tab) so it doesn't burn.
- 4 min
- medium-low heat
3
Step 3
Pour in the stock, add the salt, and simmer for 15 minutes until the bread has softened and partly dissolved.
- 15 min
- medium-low heat
4
Step 4
Crack the eggs (opens in a new tab) into the simmering soup, cover and poach for 3–4 minutes until the whites are set. Serve in bowls with an egg in each, scattered with parsley (opens in a new tab).
- 4 min
- low heat
Food safety: Cook until the whites are fully set; cook longer for firm yolks if serving anyone vulnerable.

About this dish

Origin: Castile, Spain · Well documentedMore food from Spain
Dish: Lunch · Dinner · Soups
Cooking method: Simmered, Poached
Taste: garlicky, smoky, savoury
Diet: Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labels
Non-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Beef-free · Calorie-conscious
Without the optional extras: Pork-freeWith the listed swaps: Vegetarian (lacto-ovo), Eggetarian, Ovo-vegetarian, PescatarianWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: One-pot · Budget-friendly · Uses leftovers
Cook more with: Garlic · Crusty bread / baguette · Paprika · Chicken stock · Egg
Techniques: Simmering · Poaching

Allergens

Contains: Eggsfrom egg
Contains: Wheatfrom crusty bread / baguette
Contains: Glutenfrom crusty bread / baguette
May contain: Sesamefrom crusty bread / baguette
May contain: Celeryfrom chicken stock

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

416 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 410 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

Protein 18%
Carbohydrate 32%
Fat 50%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	416 kcal	101 kcal
Protein	18.5 g	4.5 g
Carbohydrate	33.7 g	8.2 g
Net carbohydrate	32.3 g	7.9 g
Sugars	6.9 g	1.7 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	1.4 g	0.3 g
Fat	22.9 g	5.6 g
Saturated fat	4.6 g	1.1 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	195 mg	48 mg
Sodium	874 mg	213 mg
Salt equivalent	2.2 g	0.5 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 486 mg
Calcium: 74 mg
Iron: 3.4 mg
Magnesium: 34 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 111 µg
Vitamin C: 3 mg
Vitamin D: 1 µg
Vitamin B12: 0.4 µg
Folate (DFE): 103 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Optional ingredients are not included: prosciutto / dry-cured ham, parsley.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Instead of poaching, you can whisk the eggs and stir them into the soup in ribbons.

Common mistakes

Letting the garlic or paprika darken — both turn bitter in seconds.

Serve with

Traditionally served in individual earthenware bowls.

Storage

Best eaten fresh; the soup base without eggs keeps 2 days.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 26 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Garlic, thinly sliced8 clove · 32 g
Prosciutto / dry-cured ham, jamón serrano, diced (optional)60 g
Crusty bread / baguette, stale, thinly sliced150 g
Egg4 piece · 200 g

Used in steps 1, 2, 4

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