Tomato Soup with Prosciutto and Poached Egg

Tomato Soup you will find in different versions in Portugal . From the more traditional ways till modern cooking. Portugal is one of the major tomato producer worldwide. Most of the Portuguese cuisine is what we can call comfort food . Is it complex? No, in fact, Portuguese cuisine its very easy to cook.

Ingredients

• 2 Onions

• 3 Garlic Cloves

• 2 Bay Leaves

• 8 Ripe Tomatoes

• 2 Potatoes

• 1 Small Carrot

• 30ml of tomato pulp

• White Wine

• 4 Eggs

• 4 Prosciutto Slices

• Salt

• Pepper

• Olive Oil

• Vinegar

Tomato Soup with Prosciutto and Poached Egg Preparation

Start by scoring the bottom of the tomatoes and blanching them in hot water, to peel them. After they are peeled, chop them in chunks.

Chop the onions in chunks as well and start frying them in olive oil in a large soup pot, together with the garlic and bay leaf. Once the onions are starting to caramelize, add the tomatoes and a splash of white wine. Let the alcohol evaporate, then add the potatoes and the carrot, previously peeled and chopped in chunks as well.

Season with salt, pepper, add the tomato pulp and hot water, enough to cover all the vegetables and allow it to cook. In the meantime, take the prosciutto slices and place them in a baking tray. Bake them at 200ºC until they are crunchy and toasted.

Then poach the eggs, in a small saucepan, with a generous amount of vinegar, let the water boil, then bring down the heat. Next crack an egg into a small container and lower it as close as possible to the simmering water, let the egg cook for 2-3 minutes and then fish it out of the water with a slotted spoon.

Once the vegetables are completely cooked, blend them into a smooth soup, and check the seasonings.

Serve hot, in a soup bowl, with the poached egg floating on top, the crunchy prosciutto on the side and garnish with some parsley or cilantro on top. This is common to make on our Lisbon Market Tour with Cooking Class with fresh ingredients from our visit to a local market.