Our November Daring Cooks’ hostess was Begoña, who writes the beautiful blog, Las recetas de Marichu y las mías. Begoña is from Spain and didn’t want to go with the more common challenges of paella or gazpacho, she wanted to share with us another very popular recipe from Spain that we don’t see as often called Sopa Castellana which is a delicious bread soup!
I chose to make the Green Asparagus Soup – asparagus was just coming into season in New Zealand, so it was the perfect choice. I loved the mellow flavours, offset by a subtle ‘hit’ with the paprika. The textures, with the egg and the soaked bread, was interesting too. Glad I made it.
GREEN ASPARAGUS SOUP
A vibrant dish that combines tender asparagus with the warmth of garlic and sweet paprika. Enjoy it with crispy toasted bread slices and top with a poached egg for a touch of elegance. Perfect for a light lunch or as a starter, this soup brings the fresh taste of the garden to your table in just over an hour.
Ingredients
- 2 bunches green asparagus
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp of sweet paprika
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 12 bread slices
- 6 large eggs
- 8 cups vegetable stock (if vegetarian or chicken stock)
- A few saffron threads
- Salt
Instructions
- Clean and cut the asparagus discarding the tough end. Toast bread.
- Cover the bottom of a stew pan with oil and heat it. Chop garlic cloves and add to warm oil. Stir and before they have colour, add the asparagus. Continue stirring until the garlic softens, add toasted bread continue stirring.
- Add paprika, stirring quickly with a spatula, toast paprika making sure that it doesn’t burn. Add the stock. Add the saffron and salt to taste, stir well and let it gently boil on a medium heat until asparagus is tender. This will take around ½ hour.
- Eggs can be added at last minute to poach (3-4 minutes) or the eggs can be poached separately and added into the serving bowl with the finished soup.
Nutrition
Calories: 64kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 6gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 164mgSodium: 63mgPotassium: 65mgFiber: 0.02gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 238IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how if you liked it in the comments below!
G’day and congrats on completing this month’s challenge, true!
Your bread soup looks delish and wish could try some now too!
Cheers! Joanne
Viewed as part of The Daring Kitchen Cooks Challenge
Hey, another cook from Down Under – lovely to meet you! And thanks for your kind comments.