Rui Figueiredo, second from right, working hard to prepare the Sopa da Pedra in time for lunch, with the precious help from the students-cooks at the EPHTL. Photo by Luís Neves.

When it comes to gastronomy, the Portuguese are very creative. This is the story about a soup that is a meal. Literally.

Soups are the cornerstone of Portuguese gastronomy. Tasty, nourishing and, unlike other countries, normally does not come out of a tin. Many times made with vegetables picked up that morning down at the “horta”.

But this story is about yet another very special soup: “Sopa da Pedra de Almeirim”

Almeirim is a town in Ribatejo, across the river Tejo (or Tagus) from the capital of Ribatejo, Santarém. It’s main activity is agriculture and it produces the most famous melon of Portugal, a subject we will come back to in a future article.

People come to Almeirim from all over Portugal just to eat this famous soup.

And there is a story behind it:

once upon a time, there was a hungry, yet cunning, friar (frade in Portuguese). He got himself an iron pot and put inside a stone, covered it with water, and put it on the fire. Then he went around the village asking for ingredients to add flavour and nourishment to his soup. The first neighbour gave him some garlic and onions, the next some beans, a more generous soul gave him some “farinheira”, and so on, until our good friar had a beautiful meal. So it goes the legend of the “Sopa de Pedra”.

Luís and I are not friars, but we were lucky enough to be invited to taste the real “Sopa da Pedra” made by the Confraria Gastronómica de Almeirim. It was a cold Winter morning when we arrived at the EPHTL, a Catering School in Lisbon. Our hosts, Gabínio and Ana, introduced us to the three wise men who came all the way from Almeirim: Luís, Rui and António. They did not came empty handed: they brought everything needed to make this dish except the onions and potatoes.

Ingredients:

Olive oil; chopped onions; sliced garlic; dried “Catarino” beans; “massa de pimentão”; enchidos: “farinheira”, “morcela”, “chouriço de carne”, potatoes; coriander; cold water.

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Preparation:

Make a “refogado” (softening the onions and garlic in the olive oil);

Add water and the dried beans. No previous soaking is necessary.

Get boiling, slowly but surely.

Add the enchidos, first the farinheira, then the morcela, and finally the chouriço de carne and cook for 30 minutes. Remove the enchidos.

After 1 hour, add the potatoes cut into small chunks.

Cook for another half-hour.

Rest for 1 hour on the pot.

Slice the enchidos and add the chopped coriander.

Serve hot.

The wine we had was a Casal Branco, Cabernet Sauvignon and Castelão, from Almeirim, where else?

But before you try to make this dish at home, we suggest you get yourself to Almeirim on a cold day and look for a restaurant serving Sopa da Pedra. It will not be hard.

A soup made out of stone?

Amar a Terra

Sopa da pedra