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

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.