There’s this famous adage that says poems are never finished but instead abandoned. A college friend of mine used to say: “The paper is never done, the paper due. “
Trying to get things perfect can be maddening, but what if we think of imperfections as uniqueness, a giver of flavor and excitement instead of failures?
This week’s soup is was definitely an example of playing with the art of imperfection. I was inspired by Soup Chick, a tasty soup blog out of Rhode Island, to try Sopa de Ajo (note that Soup Chick’s recipe and mine is derived from Love Soup by Anna Thomas).This soup definitely had me scratching my head at times; I made it two or three times before I decided it is a work-in-progress soup.
Yet Sopa de Ajo is deceptively simple. It calls for few ingredients but the way in which these ingredients are blended together makes a huge difference. The success of this highly alchemical process depends upon your palate, which is a personal as a fingerprint.
As noted above, this soup is an exercise in imperfection. Give yourself time to experiment, to get it just right for you. I include my notes on how it works for me here. Please make suggestions on your favorite ways to make it (or your frustrations!) in the comments!
Sopa de Ajo (Garlic Soup)
I found the best way to make this soup is per bowl. Each serving should be made separately in a small pot for best flavor.
Gather up:
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp smokey Spanish paprika (I heart Penzey’s)
2 cups vegetable broth (Rapunzel’s is fab)
1-2 large eggs (1 for a small serving, 2 for a large)
2-3 pieces of French bread (great to use day old!)
Eyeballing it:
EVOO
sea salt
pinch cayenne
1) Prep ingredients before you start cooking (garlic minced, bread sliced/cubed).
2) Go round your small pot with the EVOO twice and heat.
3) Saute garlic and stir until the aromas begin to pop and the garlic starts to brown just a touch.
4) Stir in paprika, cayenne and broth. Bring to a low simmer and cover (for 5 minutes or so).
5) Add sea salt (about a pinch, according to taste).
6) Add bread and simmer a few more minutes as bread softens. Ladle bread into a small bowl.
7) Be sure your broth is hot but NOT simmering/boiling.
8) Break a room temperature egg into a small bowl and (very gingerly so the egg barely notices its being moved) slide in slowly into your broth. Be sure your egg is swimming soundly beneath the surface of the broth and cook until the white is opaque but yolk is a still softish (to your liking).
9) WOW! You’ve just POACHED AN EGG! Give yourself a hand!
10) Ladle into your bread bowl and there you have it!
Rating: Another comforting soup! Warm & easy on the tummy on winter days and when you’re feeling flu-ey.
Taste: 3ish, but becomes sort of addictive!
Easy-o-meter: Quite, though you need to be very careful while poaching the egg as it’s a bit tricky!
Time: 15 minutes tops