Creamy Milk and Roast Garlic Soup with Manchego and Green Olive Toast

by José Pizarro, featured in The Spanish Home Kitchen: Simple, Seasonal Recipes and Memories from My Home

Published by Hardie Grant

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Introduction

In Spain, garlic is the king of the herbs, and it’s very important in our cooking. So, this recipe is all about the garlic – turn the page if you’re not a fan! There is truly nothing like this soup. If you’ve never tried it, stop what you’re doing and make it now! It’s a favourite recipe of my mum’s, although her version is much simpler: she just fries the garlic, sometimes with a little jamón, then adds a bay leaf, a bit of water and milk, some salt and the bread. She brings it to the boil – and it’s ready. She has an amazing gift for bringing out fantastic flavours with just a few simple but great ingredients. Here, I’ve developed the dish a little further, adding a bit of my chef’s touch, but still honouring the essence of it.

As featured in

The Spanish Home Kitchen: Simple, Seasonal Recipes and Memories from My Home

Image of Jose Pizarro's Roast Garlic Soup — Photo by Emma Lee

Ingredients

Serves: 6

Metric Cups

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 bulbs of garlic
100 grams fresh white breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon pimentón de la Vera
1 litre fresh vegetable stock
200 millilitres full fat milk
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

GREEN OLIVE TOAST

200 grams pitted green olives (roughly chopped)
2 tablespoons capers (baby capers)
1 clove garlic
finely grated zest of ½ lemon (plus a good squeeze of juice)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 slices crusty bread
olive oil (for drizzling)
75 grams manchego cheese (grated)

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 heads of garlic
3½ ounces fresh white breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon pimentón de la Vera
4 cups fresh vegetable broth
1 scant cup whole milk
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

GREEN OLIVE TOAST

7 ounces pitted green olives (roughly chopped)
2 tablespoons capers (baby capers)
1 clove garlic
finely grated zest of ½ lemon (plus a good squeeze of juice)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 slices crusty bread
olive oil (for drizzling)
2½ ounces manchego cheese (grated)

Method

Creamy Milk and Roast Garlic Soup with Manchego and Green Olive Toast is a guest recipe by José Pizarro so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas 4.
Rub 1 tablespoon of the oil all over the garlic bulbs and place them in a small roasting tin (pan). Cook for 20–30 minutes until tender. Allow to cool, then squeeze out the soft garlic cloves into a bowl and mash with a fork. Leave the oven on for a later step.
Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan (skillet) over a medium-high heat and fry the breadcrumbs for 4–5 minutes until golden. Tip into a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the mashed garlic and pimentón and season well, then fry for another minute.
Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer. Bubble for 20 minutes, then blitz with a hand-held blender until smooth.
Meanwhile, make the olive toast. Put the olives, capers and garlic into a small food processor and pulse to form a rough paste. Whizz in the lemon zest and juice and extra virgin olive oil. Season to taste.
Arrange the slices of bread on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Place in the oven and toast lightly on both sides for 2 minutes.
Spread each slice of toast with the green olive mixture and scatter over the cheese. Return to the oven and cook for a further 2–3 minutes until the cheese has melted.
Add the milk to the soup and bubble for a few minutes, then pour into bowls. Float a piece of toast in each and serve.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas 4.
Rub 1 tablespoon of the oil all over the garlic bulbs and place them in a small roasting tin (pan). Cook for 20–30 minutes until tender. Allow to cool, then squeeze out the soft garlic cloves into a bowl and mash with a fork. Leave the oven on for a later step.
Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan (skillet) over a medium-high heat and fry the breadcrumbs for 4–5 minutes until golden. Tip into a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the mashed garlic and pimentón and season well, then fry for another minute.
Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer. Bubble for 20 minutes, then blitz with a hand-held blender until smooth.
Meanwhile, make the olive toast. Put the olives, capers and garlic into a small food processor and pulse to form a rough paste. Whizz in the lemon zest and juice and extra virgin olive oil. Season to taste.
Arrange the slices of bread on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Place in the oven and toast lightly on both sides for 2 minutes.
Spread each slice of toast with the green olive mixture and scatter over the cheese. Return to the oven and cook for a further 2–3 minutes until the cheese has melted.
Add the milk to the soup and bubble for a few minutes, then pour into bowls. Float a piece of toast in each and serve.