Today we are talking about a soup typical of Portuguese gastronomy, very nutritious and perfect especially during the winter. A soup that was born in Almeirim, in the district of Santarem. This soup has a very curious name, the stone soup, and even more curious is the legend that is the origin of this name.
It is said that one day a monk found himself in a land he did not know. He was hungry, but he didn’t have any money with him. He begged here and there, but on that sad day no one was interested in helping him. So, he picked up any stone he saw on the way and, approaching a popular who had not yet spoken to him, told him that he was planning to make a soup from the stone.
The expression on the man’s face was one of great confusion. “Stone soup? Does it exist?” Three times the monk said yes, and three times the man was incredulous. Then, the religious man offered to cook this soup, in order to prove its complete veracity. The man, in the greatest curiosity, naturally accepted it.
Then, the monk started by heating a pot with water and placed the stone inside. Waiting for a few minutes, he tasted some of the broth with a wooden spoon and said “Um … it is very good, this soup from the stone, but it would be even better with some beans.” The man gave him the beans. Minutes later the scene was repeated – “Do you know what would look fantastic here? A pig’s ear.” Again, the man gave him that suggestion. And so the orders were repeated, again and again, with the monk asking for other ingredients – a little chorizo, a few grams of bacon, onions and garlic, a few potatoes, slices of bread, a pinch of salt …
Soon the pot began to boil and let out a delicious aroma.
After the friar was eating, the owners of the house, now looking suspicious, asked at the end when the pot was empty and clean.
– And what about the stone?
The friar, a little sly, replies:
– The stone will wash it and take it with me again.!
Curious to try this soup at home? Here’s the recipe. Enjoy!
Stone’s Soup
Ingredients
– 750 g of potatoes
– 150 g of streaky bacon
– 1 kg of red beans
– 2 onions
– 2 garlic cloves
– 1 black chorizo
– 1 meat chorizo
– 1 bay leaf
– 1 coriander sauce
– salt and pepper
Preparation
– Soak the beans.
– Take the beans to cook in plenty of water, along with, the chorizo, the bacon, the onions, the garlic and the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper.
– If necessary, add more boiling water.
– When the meat is cooked, remove and place the potatoes, cut into squares and chopped coriander, in the pan. Let the potatoes cook.
-As soon as the pan is removed from the heat, introduce the previously cut meat and, to respect the tradition, a well washed stone.