Sopa Castellana
Garlic soup with ham, paprika, and poached egg.
Ingredients
- 1 Baguette
- 80 g Jamon serrano
- 6 cloves Garlic
- 1 tbsp Pimenton dulce (sweet smoked paprika)
- 4 Egg
- 1200 ml Chicken stock
- 4 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp Salt
Method
- Slice the garlic and ham and tear the bread into pieces.
- Fry the garlic and ham in the oil in a pot until the garlic is golden.
- Take the pot off the heat, stir in the bread and paprika, then pour in the stock and salt and return to the heat.
- Simmer until the bread breaks down into the broth, about 11 minutes.
- Slip in the eggs and poach until the whites are just set.
- Serve hot.
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About Sopa Castellana
Sopa castellana, or Castilian garlic soup, is a rustic Spanish dish born from peasant frugality: stale bread, garlic, paprika, and cured ham simmered into a warming broth and crowned with a poached egg. It comes from the central Castile region and is traditionally cold-weather food, the kind of restorative bowl meant to stretch humble pantry staples into something deeply satisfying. Its identity rests on smoky pimenton, sweet golden garlic, and torn bread that thickens the broth from within.
The method builds flavor in layers: garlic and jamon serrano are fried in olive oil until the garlic turns golden, then the pan is pulled off the heat to stir in bread and paprika without scorching the spice before the stock goes in. Simmering lets the bread break down and body the broth, and eggs slipped in at the end poach until the whites just set, so a runny yolk enriches each spoonful. The result is savory, smoky, and comforting, with soft bread and silky egg against the salty ham. Serve it hot as a cold-night starter or a light main, ideally with extra crusty bread.
Sopa Castellana: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Sopa Castellana?
A serving has about 528 calories — 27g protein, 46.7g carbs, 25.8g fat, 2.8g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 27g of protein, roughly 20% of its calories.
Is Sopa Castellana gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Baguette. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
How long does Sopa Castellana take to make?
About 25 minutes start to finish, but only around 15 of those are hands-on — the rest is cooking time. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
How many servings does Sopa Castellana make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.