Garlic Soup with Tasso

Garlic Soup with Tasso
by Mary Wolter Makowski

This soup is a Spanish favorite. Known as a hangover cure in Spain, it is a warm and satisfying soup for wintry nights as well. The smoked tasso ham complements the smoky Spanish paprika and rounds out this bowl of warm goodness deliciously. Make a single portion for a quick dinner for one, or multiply the recipe for as many as you like.

For EACH serving of the soup:

2 teaspoons olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, pressed
1 ounce of Teet's Smoked Pure Pork Tasso, diced finely
1 teaspoon pimenton (smoky Spanish paprika)
1-1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 egg
sea salt to taste 
garlic croutons (see below)

Heat the oil in a sauce pan and press the garlic into the oil. (If you don't have a garlic press, slice the garlic, and once it is soft, mash it with a spoon into a paste.) Add the diced tasso and cook gently until the ham is crisped and the garlic is fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the pimenton and stir. Add the stock and simmer for 15 minutes. Add a pinch of sea salt or to taste, as necessary. Crack the egg into a bowl and slide it into the soup, allowing it to poach, about 4 minutes. Spoon the liquid over the yolk if necessary to cook the top. Ladle the egg into a soup bowl and spoon the remaining soup around the egg. Garnish with croutons and a sprinkle of pimenton on the egg.

Croutons:
Cut 4 slices of day old sourdough bread into cubes, or use any bread of your choice. In a small sauce pan, mix together 2 teaspoons of olive oil and one teaspoon of butter with 1 pressed garlic clove. Heat until the butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes. Pour on the bread cubes and toss to mix well. Bake on a sheet in the oven set at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool completely and store leftovers in an airtight container.