Along with an indoor mini-golf course, H Street Country Club features a menu of strong margaritas and classic Mexican food. One of the most popular dishes is the savory Mexican bread soup called sopa de pan. At one reader’s request, we tracked down the recipe.
Have a restaurant recipe you’d like sniffed out? E-mail recipesleuth@washingtonian.com.
Sopa de Pan
Serves 1 to 2.
Make the broth:
6 cups chicken stock
2 carrots, peeled and large-diced
½ cinnamon stick
1 sprig thyme
Large pinch oregano
¼ cup white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine the ingredients in a large pot and bring them to a simmer. Cover and cook until carrots are tender. Remove from the stove, and discard the cinnamon stick and thyme sprig.
Make the soup:
3 cups cubed white bread
1⁄3 cup butter
1 onion, thinly sliced into quarter moons
3 garlic cloves, chopped
Vegetable oil
2 cups whole canned tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped (measure when whole)
3 teaspoons capers
¼ cup black currants
Green olives, sliced, for garnish
Hard-boiled egg, sliced, for garnish
Queso fresco, crumbled, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Lightly brown the bread cubes on a baking sheet, then transfer to a pan and fry in the butter until golden brown. Set aside until you’re ready to serve the soup.
In a medium pan set over medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic in a bit of oil until the onions begin to soften (don’t let them brown). Add the tomatoes and cook until they begin to simmer, then add to chicken stock.
To serve, bring the broth to a simmer. Divide the bread cubes, currants, and capers among warm bowls and ladle the soup over the top. Garnish with sliced olives, crumbled queso fresco, and a slice of salted hard-boiled egg.
Subscribe to Washingtonian
Follow Washingtonian on Twitter
Follow the Best Bites Bloggers on Twitter at twitter.com/bestbitesblog
More>> Best Bites Blog | Food & Dining | Restaurant Finder
Michael J. Gaynor has written about fake Navy SEALs, a town without cell phones, his Russian spy landlord, and many more weird and fascinating stories for the Washingtonian. He lives in DC, where his landlord is no longer a Russian spy.
