Sopa da Pedra — Stone Soup

A hearty Portuguese meat and bean soup, laden with vegetables, chouriço and pork.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 30 min
Cook: 1h 45m
Total: 2 hours 15 minutes
Vegetarian
❌
Nuts
❌
Serves
8 people
Difficulty
Easy

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 200g smoked bacon or pork belly, diced
  • 200g pork ribs or shoulder, cut into pieces
  • 150g Portuguese chouriço, sliced
  • 200g morcela or black pudding, sliced (optional)
  • 3 carrots, diced
  • 3 medium potatoes, diced
  • 1 small savoy cabbage, shredded
  • 2 x 400g tins red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 litres water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Handful fresh coriander, chopped
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a large casserole and cook the onion for 6 minutes. Add the garlic, bacon and pork and fry for 8 minutes until browned.

  2. Add the water and bay leaves. Bring to the boil, skim, then cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

  3. Add the carrots, potatoes and chouriço and simmer for 25 minutes.

  4. Add the cabbage and beans and simmer for 15 minutes more. Add the morcela for the last 5 minutes.

  5. Remove the bay leaves, season to taste and stir in the coriander.

  6. Serve in deep bowls with crusty bread.