Sopa de Ajo (Garlic Soup)

I have been growing increasingly interested in recipes that will make use of leftover bread--I often find that the odd half-loaf sits for a couple of days, gets stale, and runs the risk of being wasted if I don't have a good use for it. Wasting bread makes me think of my great grandfather, who came to America from Ireland at the age of 9, and survived his first days here by picking bread out of a dumpster, cutting off the moldy bits, and eating it. That is perhaps a little dramatic of me, but an awful lot of food gets wasted in the world, and I want to be more efficient.
This soup recipe acomplished what I wanted, and added a delicious new soup to my repertoire. I am also more convinced than ever that I need a new bread knife soon.
There are many recipes out there to choose from; mine was found at http://www.seriouseats.com/ and tweaked ever so slightly.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 pound stale bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon hot pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika)
Salt
4 cups vegetable stock
a dash of cayenne pepper, if you want an added hint of spice

This recipe is deceptively easy. I looked at it several times as I was cooking, to be sure I hadn't missed out on some important detail... I am pleased, though, to have a recipe kicking around that takes very little time, is inexpensive to make, and involves very few ingredients!

Directions as follows:
Add your olive oil to a medium-sized pot on med/high heat. Add the bread and toast lightly in the olive oil for approximately 5 minutes. You'll want to stir the bread often, to evenly brown them. Add the minced garlic, pimentón, and a pinch of salt; stir well, and cook for 3 minutes.
Add vegetable stock, bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

Serve the soup topped with a poached egg, garnish with a dash of pimentón, and enjoy!
This isn't the prettiest soup I have ever made, and I am sure that future incarnations will get more attractive, but it was delicious and garlicky and is just the kind of soup you want to eat during cold season. It also takes a great deal less work to make than homemade chicken soup, should you live alone and occasionally get colds this time of year, as I do.