Sopa de Ajo Castellana (Castilian Garlic Soup with Baked Egg)
A humble Castilian soup of golden garlic, smoked paprika and crusty bread, finished with eggs baked in the broth.
Made with Homemade chicken stock. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time40 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £1.57 a head
- Oven200°C (180°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Warm the olive oil in a flameproof casserole or large pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes until pale gold. Do not let it brown or it turns bitter.
2 min - 2
Add the ham pieces and bread and fry for 3 minutes, turning, until the bread soaks up the oil and starts to crisp.
3 min - 3
Take the pan off the heat, stir in the paprika for 10 seconds, then at once pour in your ready made homemade chicken stock (see the base recipe) and add the salt. Paprika burns quickly, so work fast.
- 4
Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the bread falls apart into a thick, soupy porridge. Taste and season.
15 min - 5
Make 4 wells in the soup and crack an egg into each. Bake in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are still soft.
6 min - 6
Scatter over the parsley and serve straight from the pot, breaking the yolks into the broth as you eat.
Tips
- Use properly stale bread. Fresh bread turns gluey, while bread a day or two old thickens the broth and holds some texture.
- Take the pan off the heat before adding paprika. It scorches in seconds and turns the whole soup bitter.
- Poach the eggs on the hob instead if you have no oven proof pan. Cover and cook gently for 4 minutes.
- Leave out the ham for a version without cured meat. Add a pinch more paprika instead.
Storing and freezing
Best eaten straight away, as the baked eggs do not reheat well. The soup base without eggs keeps in the fridge for 2 days; reheat until steaming hot all the way through and add fresh eggs.
Questions
Is sopa de ajo gluten free?
Not as written, because the bread contains gluten. You can use thin slices of a good gluten free loaf, though gluten free bread breaks down faster, so add it for the last 10 minutes of simmering.
Why is my garlic soup bitter?
Burnt garlic or scorched paprika is almost always the cause. Cook the garlic gently until just pale gold and take the pan off the heat before the paprika goes in.
Can I make it without eggs?
Yes. It is a perfectly good soup on its own, and many Spanish cooks serve it without eggs. Add a splash of sherry vinegar at the end for brightness.
More made with homemade chicken stock
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.