Portuguese Spinach Chickpea Soup Sopa De Grao Recipes

PORTUGUESE STYLE VEGETABLE SOUP (SOPA DE LEGUMES)

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil on medium high in a dutch oven or other large heavy pot.
• Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions start to soften.
• Add the leeks and continue to sauté and stir until the leeks reduce to half the volume.
• Add the potatoes, 2/3 of the carrots, turnip, squash, bay leaf, half the beans, salt and pepper.
• Turn the heat up to high. Once the soup starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium low, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.
• Use a hand blender to puree the soup until smooth.
• Add the carrots and remaining beans, cover, and continue to simmer on medium low for 10 minutes.
• Add the spinach, cover and turn off the heat. The spinach will wilt into the soup.
• Leave the pot covered for about 10 minutes.
• Uncover, stir and serve. Add a drizzle of olive oil to elevate the dish a little. Enjoy!

PORTUGUESE POTATO AND GARLIC SOUP (SOPA DE ALHO COM BATATAS)

Steps:

• In a saucepan, heat butter and saute garlic until soft, not browned.
• In a bowl, dissolve the vegetable broth in the boiling water; add to saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the stove, add milk and potatoes and stir well. Increase heat and bring to boil.
• Remove from heat and add the cream, stirring gently. Add salt if necessary.

PORTUGUESE SPINACH & CHICKPEA SOUP (SOPA DE GRAO)

Steps:

• Stir fry the garlic and onions in 3 tablespoons of oil in a large, heavy saucepan until translucent.
• Add the potatoes and stir fry another 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the herbs and allow them to meloow over low heat for about 12 minutes.
• Add the broth, raise the heat and bring the soup to a gentle simmer, add the chickpeas, cover and cook slowly for about one hour or until everything is soft.
• If you like your soup to have texture, ladle out a cup or so of chick peas; if you prefer it mostly smooth, don't.
• Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until it is as smooth as you like.
• Add in the spinach, the reserved chickpeas(if you reserved them) and simmer twenty to thirty minutes--until the flavors are blended.
• Now stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste and serve, hot, with crusty bread.