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.
gonna take a leap and try this. Signed up for your blog too
Thanks so much for signing up Paul and for giving the Portuguese Bread soup a go. It’s fantastic and I hope you’ll agree and let me know what you think. Simple, big on flavor and so tasty.
This soup is wonderful, my dad said it was “restaurant quality” when I served it to him lol. I love it soooo much. My only recommendation would be to put the bread on top of the soup in each bowl rather than the pot. I like to store my food for the next day and didn’t prefer the soggy bread consistency. I am making this again tonight 🙂 It’s flavorful, easy and healthy!
I’m so glad to hear you and your dad enjoyed this. It’s a favorite of mine and feel free to add the bread whenever you like. It’s such a flavorful, fresh soup. Happy New Year to you and thanks for stopping by my site.
Even though I’m not a huge fan of too garlicky food, that do really work here. Paired with the cilantro, olive oil, and shrimp, it’s so simple and hearty at the same time. And such an optimistic color, eh?!
Ben, PLEASE, yo umust try this one. Absolutely killer meal and it’s not too much garlic. It’s the end result, not the ingredients themselves, that make this so special.
This has everything I love (including a vibrant color) and I will definitely give this one a go. Watch instagram! GREG
Fantastic, thanks so much Greg!
OMG! This looks so fresh and delicious, was thinking of doing something like this with Caribbean Seasonings, then I saw yours and hop right over here. Love it !! Love all the international flavors you have going on here. I am SOOO Subscribing!!!
Thank you so much Immaculate, don’t forget to grab that FREE cookbook offer, too!
I usually post MWF so stay on the lookout for more, and thanks again – have a great weekend. 🙂
Oh, yes please – got lots of end bits of sourdough in the freezer – going to make this tonight but will probably use fish as we don’t do shrimp/prawns very well in this country!
So glad you stopped by Rachel, definitely give it a go. You could easily substitute cooked, shredded chicken as well. Have a great weekend. 🙂
OMG does this look amazing!!! I can always count on you for BIG flavor dishes…
Thanks Marissa, it’s a house favorite. Have a great weekend.
God, I really love Portuguese food and this is just another example of why. Such amazingly bold flavors!
Exactly Chrissy, this one delivers BIG on that and is so good for you. Win, win!
Hey Kevin! What a vibrant dish! I’ve got shrimp in the freezer and I was planning on shrimp n’ grits – you notice I said “was”! Game change!
I myself LOVE shrimp and grits, that would be a tough decision, but I’d lean to this one for big flavor and it’s so healthy! Have a great weekend.
Hey Kevin! Right back at ya – you guys have a great weekend too! And, thank you for much kitchen inspiration!
I’ve heard of this garlic soup before, and it sounds delicious…but I really love your take on it here, Kevin! All of that cilantro plus the shrimp would make this the perfect summer meal. Nicely done! Plus, Portuguese Bread is nothing short of amazing. #WolfpackCilantroClub
We have it often in this house with shredded Costco rotisserie chicken, too. Have a great weekend and thanks Dave!