Hearty Portuguese soup

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 200 g bacon, diced
• 150 g salami (Chourico), cut into 1 cm slices and halve
• 1 large onion(s), halve, cut into thin rings
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 500 g diced tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 liters of boiling water
• 2 bell peppers, red and green, cut into thin strips
• 4 eggs
• 1 shot of vinegar
• 100 g dried figs or red grapes, in pieces
• 250 g white bread, toasted
• salt and pepper
• e.g. coriander

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 5 minutes

Alentejano soup

Fry the diced bacon in a large, deep pan. Set aside, keeping the fat in the pan. Fry the salami and then add it to the bacon. Now add the onions to the fat, followed by the garlic after 1-2 minutes, and sauté. Then add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add the bay leaf, paprika, and hot water, and simmer for 10 minutes. If desired, add some coriander and season lightly with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, poach the eggs. Add a splash of vinegar to gently boiling water and lower each egg into the water with a ladle. Add the bacon and chourico cubes to the finished soup. Ladle the soup into a deep bowl and place the poached egg and fig pieces on top. Serve with toasted white bread.