Açorda AlentejanaGarlic and Coriander Bread Soup

Açorda alentejana is proof that Portuguese cooking can make something wonderful from almost nothing. It's a peasant dish from the Alentejo plains: garlic, coriander and salt pounded together, olive oil, boiling water and yesterday's bread, with a soft poached egg on top. It costs next to nothing and takes 20 minutes.

The flavour lives in the coriander. Use a lot more than seems reasonable.

The recipe

Açorda AlentejanaGarlic and Coriander Bread Soup

The Alentejo's famous bread soup: garlic, coriander and olive oil, boiling water, stale bread and a poached egg. Ready in 20 minutes from pantry staples.

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Prep10 min

Cook10 min

Total20 min

Serves4

Ingredients

MetricUS

Serves

4

½×1×2×3×

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 large bunch coriander (about 60 g), leaves and thin stems
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1.2 litres boiling water
• 4 thick slices of stale country bread (Alentejo bread, sourdough or a dense rustic loaf)
• 4 very fresh eggs

Method

1. Pound the garlic, coriander and salt together with a mortar and pestle (or blitz them in a small food processor) into a rough green paste.
2. Put the paste in a large bowl or soup tureen and stir in the olive oil.
3. Bring a pan of water to the boil. Lower the heat to a bare simmer and poach the eggs for 3 minutes, so the yolks stay runny.
4. Tear or slice the bread into chunks and divide between four deep bowls.
5. Pour the boiling water (from a fresh kettle, or the egg water) over the garlic and coriander paste and stir. Taste for salt.
6. Ladle the broth over the bread, slip a poached egg into each bowl and serve immediately, while the bread is still holding its shape.

Notes

Clear ticks

Tap ingredients and steps to tick them off. Scaling changes the quantities at the start of each line; check the rest by eye.

The bread matters

Use bread that is at least a day old and has a firm crumb. Soft sliced bread turns to mush. Proper pão alentejano is ideal, but a good sourdough is the closest substitute outside Portugal.

From the shop

What you’ll need

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Portuguese

Costa Nova Brisa stoneware bowl

Portuguese stoneware that's microwave- and dishwasher-safe. The right depth for caldo verde or açorda.

Tip: The Brisa range comes in several colours, so you can mix and match.

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Portuguese

Casafina Pacifica stoneware bowl

Hand-glazed Portuguese stoneware with a rustic, reactive finish. Each piece looks slightly different.

Tip: Microwave- and dishwasher-safe, unlike a lot of handmade pottery.

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Portuguese

Authentic Portuguese Cooking (cookbook)

Over 185 classic recipes from mainland Portugal, the Azores and Madeira. A highly rated home-cooking reference.

Tip: Good for family recipes you remember but never wrote down.

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