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1
Preheat the oven to 450F.
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2
Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
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3
Add the olive oil and garlic cloves and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
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4
Stir in the tomatoes and bay leaf and continue stirring until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 5 minutes.
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5
Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil; lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
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6
(You can prepare the dish up to this point and let sit for a few hours or cover and refrigerate for up to a day; reheat before proceeding.)
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7
Meanwhile, prepare the soup bowls.
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8
Place the bread slices in the bottom of 4 individual heatproof dishes and then break an egg over each slice.
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9
When the soup is ready, season with salt and pepper, then strain the soup into the individual bowls.
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10
Sprinkle the parsley on top of the soup and bake for 5 minutes.
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11
Serve piping hot.
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12
The meager, ultra simplified version, which is still quite good.
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13
Omit the tomatoes and use water in place of stock.
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14
Omit the eggs; instead, toast the bread (better still, fry it on both sides in extra virgin olive oil).
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15
Finish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
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16
Omit the bread and eggs.
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17
Finish the simple soup with about 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and loads of fresh lime juice.
