This is different from most garlic soups, not only for the addition of plenty of cilantro (parsley is more common, yet this is traditional, too) but also because the garlic-cilantro mixture is uncooked except by the heat of the broth poured over it, so it remains quite strong. If you have good beef or chicken stock, use it both to poach the eggs and as the base of the soup. And if you have an extra 5 minutes, don’t toast the bread in a toaster but brown it lightly in a skillet on both sides in olive oil—there’s nothing more delicious.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

　　2 cups chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

　　4 thick slices French or Italian bread, toasted

　　4 eggs, preferably poached in beef or chicken stock (page 160), cooking liquid reserved

　　

Step 1

Place the garlic, 2 cups cilantro, and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor and process until well incorporated. With the machine running, slowly pour in the oil and process until a paste is formed; stop the machine to scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.

　　

Step 2

Place the toast in 4 soup bowls and top with the poached eggs. Bring 5 cups of the egg poaching liquid to a gentle simmer, whisk in the cilantro paste, and season with salt and pepper.

　　

Step 3

Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with cilantro, and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.