Sunday Flavors

ALENTEJO TOMATO SOUP

Using key ingredients of the typical Mediterranean diet, this tomato soup is another classic recipe from Alentejo, a South province of Portugal. Very simple to prepare, with a very low cost, this soup is a perfect example of the Alentejo cuisine humble origins.
You can find different versions of this tomato soup, with different ingredients or herbs, sometimes served together with fried fish, pork meat or even with fresh fruit such as figs or grapes. Nevertheless, my favorite is this one I show you here. Fried toucinho and chorizo, poached eggs and slices of bread gives this tomato soup the perfect energy to warm up your body and soul.

YOU WILL NEED (serves 4):
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil;
100 gr / 3 ½ oz of toucinho (salty fatty bacon), sliced, or
2 tablespoons of pork lard;
100 gr / 3 ½ oz of chorizo, sliced;
100 gr / 3 ½ oz of blood chorizo, sliced (optional);
1 big yellow onion, diced;
4 garlic cloves, sliced;
1 bay leaf;
1 tablespoon of tomato paste;
1 teaspoon of paprika;
1 teaspoon of oregano;
100 ml / 3 ½ fl oz of white wine;
800 gr / 1 lb and 12 ¼ oz of fresh ripe skinless tomatoes, sliced;
Red, green or yellow bell pepper stripes;
Salt;
Water;
4 large eggs;
Bread slices;
1 handful of fresh coriander coarsely chopped;

METHOD:

In a stewpot, heat olive oil and add toucinho slices (salty fatty bacon) and fry until golden. Remove toucinho from the pot and reserve. If you use pork lard instead of toucinho, skip this step;
Add chorizo and blood chorizo slices to the stewpot and fry. Remove chorizo and reserve;
In the same pot with olive oil, bacon and chorizo fat drippings add, by this order, onion, garlic, bay leaf, tomato paste, paprika, oregano, white wine, tomato and bell pepper stripes. Let it cook for around 15 minutes on medium to low heat;
Add boiling water enough to cover everything very well and bring it to a boil;
Season with salt;
Turn the heat low, put the lid on the pot and let it boil for 15 minutes more;
One by one, break the eggs over the soup, very gently, and let them poach;
Turn down the heat when the egg yolks are slightly runny or reach your taste;
Add fresh coriander and stir very gently;
Cover the bottom of each plate with thin slices of bread before serve the soup. I usually cook it with a bit more water just to soak this bread slices.
Serve and garnish each plate with the reserved toucinho and chorizo slices;