The story of Garlic soup
Sopa de ajo, also called sopa castellana, comes from the central plateau of Spain, from a kitchen where garlic, olive oil and stale bread were always at hand. The simplest versions are water, garlic, bread and oil alone; over time broth, paprika, eggs and, in many homes, pieces of ham or sausage were added. It is thrift food that became a loved dish: yesterday's bread thickens today's soup.
Garlic soups exist all over Europe. In the Czech Republic pubs serve česnečka with potatoes, caraway and croutons, and in Hungary and Austria garlic is made into a cream soup. Israelis search for garlic soup mostly by its country, so we chose the Spanish one as the main recipe, because it is parve and fits any meal, and set out the others as versions.
What makes Garlic soup itself
Spanish garlic soup is not sharp. Twelve cloves sound like a lot, but sliced and slowly turned golden in olive oil they become sweet and nutty. The dry bread soaks up the oil, toasts a little and then falls apart into the broth and thickens it. Smoked paprika brings red colour and depth, and the egg cooked in the soup turns a bowl of almost nothing into a meal.
