Equipment
Ingredients
Soup Base
- 1425 ml chicken stock
- 6 garlic, minced or sliced
- 4 sage, fresh leaves
- 2 g salt
Thickener and Texture
- 2 egg
- 15 ml olive oil
- 170 g sugar snap peas, trimmed
- 244 g quinoa, cooked and warmed
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 932 kcal
- Protein
- 87 g
- Carbohydrates
- 44 g
- Fat
- 43 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 461 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 11 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 18 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 10 g
- Cholesterol
- 321 mg
- Potassium
- 1185 mg
- Calcium
- 98 mg
- Iron
- 6.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 215 mg
- Phosphorus
- 955 mg
- Zinc
- 5.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 126 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.9 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 2.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.46 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.64 mg
- Niacin
- 36.3 mg
- Folate
- 138 mcg
- Water
- 277 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Combine the chicken stock, garlic, sage, and salt in a heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Maintain the simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the garlic loses its sharp raw flavor.
Add the trimmed sugar snap peas to the saucepan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until tender but still bright green.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and olive oil until combined.
Slowly pour about 120ml (1/2 cup) of the hot soup into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly stir the tempered egg mixture back into the soup.
Place the warmed quinoa into four bowls and ladle the soup over it to serve.
Chef's Notes
- For a richer garlic flavor, you can roast the garlic cloves before mincing and adding them to the stock.
- Ensure the stock is simmering gently when tempering the eggs. If it's too hot, the eggs will scramble. Conversely, if it's not hot enough, the eggs won't cook properly.
- Don't overcook the snap peas; they should retain a slight crispness and vibrant green color for both texture and visual appeal.
- Taste and adjust salt at the end of cooking, as the chicken stock can vary in its sodium content.
- If you prefer a thicker soup, you can add a small amount of cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with cold water) after tempering the eggs and bringing the soup back to a gentle simmer.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store quinoa and broth separately to maintain texture.
Reheating: Warm gently over low heat; do not allow to boil to prevent egg curdling.
Troubleshooting
Egg clumps or 'scrambled' texture in soup
Cause: The egg mixture was added too quickly or to boiling liquid without sufficient tempering.
Fix: Strain the soup through a fine-mesh sieve to remove clumps; the flavor will remain intact.
Prevention: Ensure you whisk the hot liquid into the eggs in a slow, steady stream before adding the mixture to the pot, and ensure the pot is off the heat.
Cultural Context
Garlic soup, or 'Sopa de Ajo', has deep roots in Spanish cuisine, particularly in Castile. Historically, it was a humble peasant dish, using readily available ingredients like garlic, bread, and stock. Its comforting and fortifying nature made it ideal for laborers and travelers, and it's often associated with Lent and colder months.
