Sopa de gato

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

First things first: despite its name, sopa de gato (lit. cat soup) is not made with cats. It's a thick Spanish soup originating from the city of Cádiz. The soup is made with just a few basic ingredients – garlic, oil, salt, and stale bread. Cloves of garlic are fried in plenty of oil, then combined with water and salt. The concoction is poured over stale bread, and it is then shortly baked in the oven until the bread develops a golden hue. Cat soup is traditionally prepared and consumed in winter, and it is always served hot. Originally, it was invented out of necessity because Cádiz was looted and raided by pirates in the 16th century.