This Creamy Garlic and Rice Soup, known in Spain as Arroz Meloso al Ajo, is where simplicity meets extraordinary. We´re talking simple ingredients, minimal effort and a ton of great flavors. Serve this soup as a starter or even as a main course, and always next to a crunchy baguette for the ultimate Spanish experience.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 head of garlic
1/2 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika
6 cups vegetable broth
1 cup Spanish round or arborio rice
1 egg
handful fresh parsley
pinch sea salt
dash black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Separate the cloves of garlic from the head, remove the skins from each clove and roughly chop the garlic, add into a mortar, along with the sweet smoked paprika and a pinch of sea salt, using a pestle, pound down on the mixture until you form a paste like texture
Add the broth into a sauce pan and heat with a high heat
At the same time, heat a stock pot with a medium heat and add in the olive oil
After a couple of minutes add in the garlic paste, mix continuously, after 1 minute and the garlic is fragrant, add in the rice and season with sea salt & black pepper, continue to mix continuously
Once the rice is lightly toasted, about 2 minutes, add in the simmering vegetable broth, mix every 2 to 3 minutes, this will help release the starch in the rice to give that creamy texture
In the meantime, crack the egg into a bowl, season with salt & pepper and whisk together
Once the rice is cooked through, 15 minutes or so (check package instructions), slowly add in the whisked egg while mixing continuously, once all the egg has been added, continue to mix for another 30 to 45 seconds, then remove from the heat
Transfer into shallow bowls and garnish with fresh parsley, serve at once
