Sopa à Portuguesa (Traditional Portuguese Soup)
David RodriguesShare
About Sopa à Portuguesa: Sopa à Portuguesa is a traditional Portuguese soup that represents everything I love about Portuguese cooking: simple ingredients, big flavor, and a meal that feels like home. This hearty Portuguese soup is comforting, filling, and easy to make, making it perfect for a weeknight meal or as a starter for a traditional Portuguese dinner. Like so many Portuguese recipes, it’s a dish that proves you don’t need complicated ingredients to make something delicious. ### The History Sopa à Portuguesa comes from Portugal’s long tradition of making hearty soups with simple, affordable ingredients that were readily available to families. Portuguese soups have been a staple of home cooking for generations, particularly in rural communities, where ingredients like potatoes, vegetables, beans, greens, and meats were commonly used to create filling meals. There isn’t one single recipe for Sopa à Portuguesa, and like many traditional Portuguese recipes, the ingredients and preparation can vary from one family or region to another.
This is a classic Portuguese comfort food recipe for me. The combination of chouriço, beans, cabbage, and pasta makes this soup a full meal on its own, and it’s one of those recipes that’s even better when you have leftovers the next day. — David
Ingredients
- 10 cups water
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 beef bouillon cube
- 4 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 chouriço
- 3/4 lb. large elbow pasta
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 turnips, cubed
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 1 cabbage, chopped
- 2-3 sprigs of mint
- 1 can red beans, drained
Instructions
- Put a large stockpot on stove over medium heat.
- Add olive oil, garlic, onion, and chouriço. Cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add bouillon cube and tomatoes. Mix well and add 10 cups of
- water.
- Add salt and pepper, mix well, and bring to a boil. Cook 8-10
- minutes.
- Continue to mix, and add turnips, cabbage, and carrots. Cook for 30
- minutes at a low boil. Keep your heat between medium and high.
- Continue to mix.
- Remove chouriço, slice it up, add it back to the pot.
- Add in a few sprigs of mint, beans, and the pasta. Cook for about
- 10-12 minutes, until pasta is to your liking.
- Let sit for about 5-10 minutes, serve hot.
David’s tips
- Use good olive oil. Olive oil is an important part of traditional Portuguese cooking and gives this Portuguese soup its rich base of flavor.
- Don’t rush the vegetables. Let the cabbage, turnips, and carrots simmer long enough to become tender and add their flavor to the broth.
- Add the pasta near the end. Cooking the pasta for only 10–12 minutes helps prevent it from becoming too soft while it sits in the hot soup.
- Let the soup rest.. Give your Portuguese soup 5–10 minutes before serving. This allows the flavors to come together and gives the broth time to settle.
Frequently asked questions
What makes Sopa à Portuguesa different from other Portuguese soups?
Sopa à Portuguesa is a hearty, full-meal soup made with vegetables, beans, pasta, and chouriço. The combination of ingredients makes it especially filling and flavorful.
Can I use a different type of chouriço?
Yes. You can use your favorite Portuguese chouriço or linguiça in this recipe. The type of sausage you use will slightly change the flavor of the soup.
From the cookbook
This recipe is from How To Cook Portuguese Stuff
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