Changua (soupe au lait et à l'œuf)

Prepare the bowls

Tear or cut the day-old bread into rough pieces and divide them among four deep soup bowls. Using bread that is a day old (not fresh) matters: it is dry enough to soak up the hot soup without turning to mush.

• 4 slices day-old bread

Simmer milk and scallion

In a medium pot, combine the milk, water, chopped scallion whites and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so the milk does not catch on the bottom.

• 500 ml whole milk
• 500 ml water
• 2 scallion whites
• 1 tsp salt

✅ C'est prêt quand : small bubbles appear around the edge and the kitchen smells like warm milk and onion

Slip in the eggs

Lower the heat so the liquid barely simmers, with just a few lazy bubbles, not a hard boil. Crack each egg into a small cup first, then slide it gently into the pot; this way a broken yolk never ruins the whole pot. Add the cilantro sprigs and poach for 3–4 minutes, until the whites are fully set but the yolks are still soft.

• 4 eggs
• 4 sprigs cilantro

✅ C'est prêt quand : the egg whites are completely opaque and firm, and the yolks still wobble slightly when the pot is nudged

Check the seasoning

Taste the broth and add a little more salt if needed; milk soups taste flatter than water-based ones, so they usually need a touch more salt than you expect. Remove the cilantro sprigs.

• to taste extra salt

Serve over the bread

Using a slotted spoon, lift one egg into each bowl on top of the bread, then ladle the hot milk broth over everything so the bread softens right at the table. Scatter chopped scallion greens and extra cilantro on top, and add a small knob of butter if you like.

• to taste scallion greens
• to taste chopped cilantro
• 1 tbsp butter