Portuguese Bread and Garlic Soup with Fresh Shrimp
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Known as Açorda à Alentejana, this garlicky bread soup, which hails from Rosa Filipe of O Barro restaurant in Redondo, Portugal is another reason this site cooks big and bold. She claims it’s nicknamed “beggar’s soup” because it contains no meat or fish. I added fresh shrimp to mine and is this one a flavor explosion.
I’ve made it before with shredded chicken and this is just as good. The fresh shrimp were just too good to pass up at the market and I loved this version just as much.
Super easy, quick and full of flavor. What more could you ask for after a hard day at work, right?
Pulse cilantro, garlic, Serrano chiles, salt, and pepper in a food processor until roughly chopped. Add oil slowly and purée to a smooth paste. Place 1/2 cup of paste in a bowl. Set aside. Cut bread into 1 inch cubes and toast in oven until golden brown. In a bowl toss the cilantro paste and bread to coat. Set aside.
Heat remaining paste in a 6 quart soup pot over medium heat. Cook for 3 minutes. Add stock and bring to a boil. In a bowl whisk together the eggs. While stirring broth, slowly drizzle in eggs. Cook until eggs are just set, about 1 minute.
Add shrimp to soup and simmer for 2 minutes until cooked and pink. Remove soup from heat and stir in bread mixture, ladle into soup bowls and serve hot.
Your mouth and body will thank you. 🙂
Portuguese Bread and Garlic Soup with Cilantro and Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 bunches roughly chopped cilantro leaves and stems
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 serrano peppers stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 6 slices day old sourdough bread
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 4 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 lb raw medium shrimp cleaned & tail removed
Instructions
- Pulse cilantro, garlic, Serrano chiles, salt, and pepper in a food processor until roughly chopped. Add oil slowly and purée to a smooth paste. Place 1/2 cup of paste in a bowl. Set aside.
- Cut bread into 1 inch cubes and toast in oven until golden brown. In the bowl with the cilantro paste toss the bread to coat. Set aside.
- Heat remaining paste in a 6 quart soup pot over medium heat. Cook for 3 minutes. Add stock and bring to a boil.
- In a bowl whisk together the eggs. While stirring broth, slowly drizzle in eggs. Cook until eggs are just set, about 1 minute.
- Add shrimp to soup and simmer for 2 minutes until cooked and pink. Remove soup from heat and stir in bread mixture, ladle into soup bowls and serve hot.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Tried this recipe today!! Wow!! It was a rainy day and this soup was perfect for a Covid-19 quarantine day. The aroma at the beginning stages of the recipe were matched by the flavor that was soaked up by the bread. I just love ya Kevin. Thank you!!!
I am so glad you enjoyed my recipe! Please let me know if you try more!