Alentejo-Style Sopa de Tomate com Ovos Escalfados
Sopa de Tomate com Ovos Escalfados·(soh-pah deh toh-maht kohn oh-voosh eesh-kahl-fah-doosh)
The Nightly Bowl: Sopas para a Alma
This isn't a fussy, slow-simmered Sunday bisque; twenty minutes is the entire distance between walking through the door and smelling the garlic sweat as the olive oil hisses. Before a single drop of water hits the pot, you must let a can of whole peeled tomatoes cook down into a rich, jammy paste alongside the onions and olive oil. Serve this over a heel of stale bread with a runny poached egg broken over the top, and break the yolk to mellow the acidic broth.
Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil1/4 cup
- yellow onion1 large
- garlic4 large cloves
- dried bay leaf1 large
- canned whole peeled tomatoes28 oz
- tomato paste1 tbsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- sugar1 pinch
- water4 cup
- Yukon Gold potatoes3 med
- eggs4 large
- stale rustic bread4 large slices
- fresh cilantro1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Build the aromatic foundation slowly over medium heat.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, then add the onions, garlic, and bay leaf. Sauté gently for 8 to 10 minutes until the onions are soft and a pale, mellow golden color—don't rush this.
- 02
Fry the tomatoes down into a rich, thick jam before adding any liquid.
Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and sugar. Stir well, lower the heat slightly, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, mashing occasionally, until the tomatoes have completely broken down into a savory paste. This concentration of flavor is the secret to the entire dish.
- 03
Simmer the potatoes until tender.
Pour in the water and increase the heat to bring the soup to a gentle boil. Drop in the sliced potatoes, cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove the bay leaf and taste for seasoning.
- 04
Poach the eggs directly in the simmering tomato broth.
Reduce the heat to a very bare simmer, then carefully crack the eggs into different quadrants of the pot. Cover tightly and let them poach undisturbed for 4 to 6 minutes, ensuring the whites are set but the yolks remain fully liquid.
- 05
Assemble over stale bread and garnish generously with cilantro.
Place a thick slice of bread in the bottom of each wide bowl, gently transfer a poached egg onto the bread, and ladle the hot broth and potatoes around it. Scatter the cilantro over the top and break the yolk when eating so it enriches the soup.