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Brief Overview
Açorda à Alentejana is one of those dishes that proves simplicity can be deeply satisfying. Rooted in Portugal’s Alentejo region, this humble bread soup captures the spirit of countryside cooking, where nothing is wasted and every ingredient earns its place.
It may not look dramatic on the plate, but the flavour tells a different story. Made with garlic, olive oil, coriander, and day-old bread, Açorda delivers comfort in a bowl. With a poached egg on top, it becomes a meal that feels honest and nourishing.
Across Portugal, it is a dish that evokes memories of quiet villages, warm kitchens, and the slow rhythm of rural life. It is not just about feeding the body. It carries a sense of place, tradition, and resourcefulness with every spoonful.
What Is Açorda à Alentejana?
Açorda à Alentejana is a traditional soup made by pouring hot garlic and herb infused broth over slices of rustic bread. It is typically finished with a poached egg and sometimes a few pieces of salted cod or boiled fish, though the base version keeps things very simple.
Unlike soups that simmer for hours, Açorda comes together quickly. The broth is flavoured with garlic, coriander, olive oil, and sometimes bay leaf. Once the bread is added, it softens into the liquid, thickening it slightly while still holding its structure.
The egg is usually poached directly in the hot broth just before serving. It adds richness and a velvety texture once broken into the soup. The result is warm, fragrant, and deeply comforting, even in its most stripped back form.
Ingredients and Taste
The core ingredients are things you might already have in your kitchen. Stale bread, garlic, olive oil, and fresh coriander. These are the foundation. Water, salt, and sometimes a bay leaf help create the broth. A fresh egg is gently poached in the final moments.
The bread used is usually firm and rustic, able to hold up in liquid without turning to mush. It absorbs the broth beautifully, becoming soft but still toothsome. The soup takes on a creamy, spoonable consistency without any added cream or starch.
The flavour is fresh and earthy. Coriander gives it a green, citrus like aroma, while garlic adds depth. Olive oil brings smoothness, and the poached egg enriches each bite. It is not a heavy soup, but it is filling in a clean, honest way.
A Taste of History
Açorda has roots that stretch back centuries, with influences from both Roman and Moorish cuisine. In Alentejo, a land of wheat fields and olive groves, bread has always been central to the diet. Açorda became a way to give new life to bread that was past its prime.
The soup reflects the frugal but ingenious approach of rural cooking. Nothing is wasted. Every element is used to its fullest. Over time, this everyday dish became a regional symbol, valued not only for its flavour but for what it represents.
In modern Portugal, Açorda à Alentejana is still eaten regularly, especially during colder months or in simple family meals. Some chefs reimagine it, but the heart of the dish remains unchanged. It is about comfort, practicality, and a deep connection to the land.
Whether tasted in a small Alentejo village or made at home with leftover bread, Açorda à Alentejana invites you to slow down and savour what simple food can truly offer. It is rustic, warming, and unmistakably Portuguese.
How to Make Açorda à Alentejana (Alentejo Bread Soup)
Açorda à Alentejana is a humble yet flavour rich soup from southern Portugal. Built on rustic bread, garlic, olive oil, and coriander, this dish transforms a few pantry staples into a soulful, aromatic meal. It’s traditionally topped with a poached egg and served piping hot. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions
Ingredients
For the soup base
- 200g rustic stale bread, torn into chunks (preferably Alentejo style or sourdough)
- 4 large garlic cloves
- 1 litre water
- 1 bunch fresh coriander (including stems), roughly chopped
- 60ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ tsp sea salt (or to taste)
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For poaching
- 4 fresh eggs
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar (for poaching water)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the garlic paste
To begin, peel the garlic cloves and crush them using a mortar and pestle with the sea salt until a fine paste forms. This helps release the full flavour and blends smoothly into the broth. Move on to the coriander.
Step 2: Chop and crush the coriander
Roughly chop the coriander, including the tender stems. Use the pestle to bruise the chopped coriander slightly. This unlocks the herb’s essential oils. Set aside and proceed to heat the water.
Step 3: Make the broth
In a large pot, bring 1 litre of water to a gentle boil. Add the garlic paste and bruised coriander to the pot. Let it simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until aromatic. Continue by seasoning.
Step 4: Season the broth
Add freshly ground black pepper to taste and drizzle in the olive oil. Stir to emulsify slightly. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Next, prepare the bread.
Step 5: Soak the bread
Place the torn bread into a large serving bowl or deep soup plates. Ensure the bread is dry and firm so it holds some texture. Transition to preparing the eggs.
Step 6: Prepare for poaching
In a separate saucepan, bring water to a gentle simmer and add white wine vinegar. Crack each egg into a ramekin to ensure a clean poach. Move on to poaching the eggs.
Step 7: Poach the eggs
Gently slide each egg into the simmering water. Poach for about 3 minutes for soft yolks or 4 to 5 minutes for firmer yolks. Lift with a slotted spoon and place on a plate. Get ready to assemble.
Step 8: Pour the broth over the bread
Ladle the hot coriander garlic broth over the bread pieces in each bowl. Let it sit briefly to allow the bread to soften and absorb the flavour. Proceed to final garnishing.
Final Step: Top and serve
Top each bowl with a poached egg. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil and sprinkle additional coriander if desired. Serve immediately while hot. Presentation tip: Serve with a wedge of lemon for brightness or black olives on the side.
Variations and substitutions
- Bread substitution: If Portuguese pão alentejano is unavailable, use crusty sourdough or Italian pane rustico.
- Herb swap: In place of coriander, try flat leaf parsley for a milder herbaceous note.
- Add-ins: A few anchovy fillets or a spoonful of bacalhau flakes can be added for depth.
- Poaching tip: If vinegar is unavailable, poach eggs with a swirl in the water for shape control.
Cooking Tips for Perfect Açorda à Alentejana
- Use day-old bread with a firm crust for best texture in the broth.
- Always bruise the coriander to release its aromatic compounds.
- Adjust broth seasoning before pouring to avoid blandness.
- Poach eggs just before serving for warm, runny yolks.
Purtuguese Açorda à Alentejana (Alentejo Bread Soup)
Ingredients
For the soup base
- 200 g rustic stale bread torn into chunks (preferably Alentejo style or sourdough)
- 4 large garlic cloves
- 1 litre water
- 1 bunch fresh coriander including stems, roughly chopped
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ tsp sea salt or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
For poaching
- 4 fresh eggs
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar for poaching water
Instructions
- To begin, peel the garlic cloves and crush them using a mortar and pestle with the sea salt until a fine paste forms. This helps release the full flavour and blends smoothly into the broth. Move on to the coriander.
- Roughly chop the coriander, including the tender stems. Use the pestle to bruise the chopped coriander slightly. This unlocks the herb's essential oils. Set aside and proceed to heat the water.
- In a large pot, bring 1 litre of water to a gentle boil. Add the garlic paste and bruised coriander to the pot. Let it simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until aromatic. Continue by seasoning.
- Add freshly ground black pepper to taste and drizzle in the olive oil. Stir to emulsify slightly. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Next, prepare the bread.
- Place the torn bread into a large serving bowl or deep soup plates. Ensure the bread is dry and firm so it holds some texture. Transition to preparing the eggs.
- In a separate saucepan, bring water to a gentle simmer and add white wine vinegar. Crack each egg into a ramekin to ensure a clean poach. Move on to poaching the eggs.
- Gently slide each egg into the simmering water. Poach for about 3 minutes for soft yolks or 4 to 5 minutes for firmer yolks. Lift with a slotted spoon and place on a plate. Get ready to assemble.
- Ladle the hot coriander garlic broth over the bread pieces in each bowl. Let it sit briefly to allow the bread to soften and absorb the flavour. Proceed to final garnishing.
- Top each bowl with a poached egg. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil and sprinkle additional coriander if desired. Serve immediately while hot. Presentation tip: Serve with a wedge of lemon for brightness or black olives on the side.
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