Sunday Flavors

SOPA DA PEDRA / STONE SOUP

Once, a monk begged a niggard farmer for something to make a soup with. When he was given nothing, he asked for a pot to boil water and put a stone in it. The curious farmer asked if it was good. The monk said yes, but that it would be even better with a little cabbage. The farmer gave him some. The monk said it was fine, but that it would be delicious if he had a little sausage… and so on. In my opinion, this is just a fable to ensure children eat more soup.

In Portugal, people refer Almeirim, in Ribatejo province, as the origin of this soup recipe. But you can find fables about this kind of soup in France, Russia or all Scandinavia, sometimes with different names such as button soup, wood soup, nail soup or axe soup. The tradition has something in common: hungry travelers carrying nothing but an empty pot, inventing a soup according to the available ingredients in that place.
Sopa da pedra is a tasty soup full of vegetables and meats and it is a whole meal in itself.
This is just my version of Sopa da Pedra, which is very near a Feijoada. Only one note: I can’t cook it for less then 8 people, like this recipe is about. You can adapt to your taste and use whatever is in your fridge or cupboard. Invite your friends and go ahead.

YOU WILL NEED (serves 8):
1 pork hock or similar kind of pork meat;
2 pork ears;
200 gr / 7 ¼ oz of pork belly;
1 chorizo (smoked pork meat sausage);
1 chorizo mouro (smoked pork meat sausage with blood);
1 or 2 farinheiras (smoked pork sausage with wheat flour);
Salt and pepper to season;
200 ml / 7 ¼ fl oz of extra virgin olive oil;
200 ml / 7 ¼ fl oz of white wine;
2 bay leaves;
6 garlic cloves, sliced;
1 tablespoon of paprika;
1 or 2 fresh chilies cut in half;
2 onions, diced;
1 carrot, sliced;
½ white turnip, thinly sliced (around 200 gr / 7 ¼ oz);
3 fresh ripe skinless tomatoes, diced;
2 tablespoons of tomato paste;
2 or 3 peeled potatoes, cut into small cubes;
600 gr / 1 lb and 5 ¼ oz of boiled red beans (caned);
150 gr / 5 ¼ of pipe pasta (small size);
Water;
Fresh coriander coarsely chopped;
Fresh mint coarsely chopped.

METHOD:

In a large pot, boil the pork meat (hock, ears and belly) only with water and salt, completely covered, for 30 minutes. Drain and let it cool down;
Discarding the bones, cut all the meat in small pieces and reserve;
In a large pot, heat olive oil, bay leaves, garlic cloves, chili and paprika;
Add onion, carrot, turnip, tomato, tomato paste and allow to fry together for 5 minutes;
Reduce the heat, add white wine and all the pork meat. Allow it to cook for 15 minutes in medium to low heat;
Add water, potatoes, beans, washed and drained, chorizo and chorizo mouro and cook for more 30 minutes stirring one or two times to ensure is not catching on the bottom. Make sure the stew is not too dry during the cooking process, adding a little more water if necessary;
Separately, boil farinheiras, covered with water, for 20 minutes (it is a very soft sausage);
When all the ingredients are tender add pipe pasta and let it cook for 8 minutes more;
Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes;
Take the sausages out, cut it in slices and add it again to the stew, stirring gently;
Just before serving, garnish with coriander and mint coarsely chopped;
Serve farinheira, cut in slices, separately.