Açorda Alentejana — Print Recipe

A rustic, soul-warming bread soup from the Alentejo where stale bread is drenched in a garlicky, cilantro-infused broth and crowned with poached eggs. Peasant ingenuity at its most delicious.

Ingredients

300g stale country bread, torn into chunks
6 cloves garlic
Large bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro)
4 eggs
1 liter water or light chicken broth
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp coarse salt
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
Salt and white pepper

Instructions

1 Pound garlic and coarse salt in a mortar until a smooth paste forms. Add coriander leaves and pound into the garlic paste.
2 Transfer paste to a large bowl. Whisk in olive oil to create a fragrant green emulsion.
3 Bring water or broth to a boil with vinegar. Poach eggs one at a time for 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.
4 Place torn bread in deep serving bowls. Pour the hot broth over the garlic-coriander paste and stir well.
5 Ladle the flavored broth over the bread, ensuring it soaks through. Top each bowl with a poached egg.
6 Drizzle with additional olive oil and serve immediately while the bread is soft but not disintegrated.

Did You Know?

Açorda was originally eaten by farmworkers who would carry bread and garlic to the fields, then ask the cook for hot water to make their meal.