Sopa de Nabo com Feijão e Chouriço (Portuguese Turnip Soup) 🇵🇹🥣

If there’s one thing you’ll almost always find in a Portuguese home, it’s a big pot of homemade soup simmering away on the stove! ❤️

And if you grew up in a Portuguese household, you know exactly what I’m talking about. There’s something so comforting about a bowl of homemade sopa, especially when it’s made with simple vegetables, good Portuguese olive oil and a little chouriço for flavour.

Today I’m sharing my Sopa de Nabo com Feijão e Chouriço, a delicious Portuguese turnip soup made with potatoes, carrots, white beans, Savoy cabbage and chouriço, all brought together in a beautiful, creamy vegetable broth.

This soup was SO hearty! I’m not even exaggerating when I say it practically kept us full the entire day. 😂❤️

And the best part? It’s incredibly easy to make. Everything goes into one pot, cooks together, and with a little blending, you’ve got yourself a delicious homemade Portuguese soup the whole family can enjoy.

Jump to:

• 🇵🇹 Portuguese Soups Are All About Simple Ingredients
• 🥕 Why I Love Blending My Vegetable Soups
• 🥣 What Is Sopa de Nabo?
• ❤️ Why You’ll Love This Portuguese Turnip Soup
• 🛒 Ingredients You’ll Need
• 👩‍🍳 How to Make Sopa de Nabo com Feijão e Chouriço
• 🥬 Creamy or Rustic? You Decide!
• 🫘 Why Add White Beans to Portuguese Soup?
• 🌿 Different Ways to Make This Portuguese Soup
• 🇵🇹 The Beauty of Homemade Portuguese Soup
• ❄️ How to Store and Reheat
• ❤️ A Little Love From My Cozinha
• Sopa de Nabo com Feijão e Chouriço (Portuguese Turnip Soup) 🇵🇹🥣

🇵🇹 Portuguese Soups Are All About Simple Ingredients

One thing I’ve always loved about Portuguese cooking is how so many of our soups start with almost the exact same ingredients, yet somehow they can turn out completely different!

Potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, olive oil and whatever other vegetables you happen to have in the kitchen. Sound familiar? 😂

That’s because so many traditional Portuguese vegetable soups share a similar foundation.

You might add turnips one day, pumpkin the next, some green beans, kale, cabbage or even a handful of rice or pasta.

Sometimes we add feijão, other times a little chouriço, and sometimes we leave the meat out altogether.

And that’s the beauty of Portuguese soups. There are so many variations, and every family has its own way of making them.

You don’t always need a long list of ingredients or an exact combination of vegetables. Sometimes it’s simply about using what you have and turning it into something delicious.

This Sopa de Nabo is a perfect example of that!

🥕 Why I Love Blending My Vegetable Soups

Now, you can absolutely make this soup more rustic, with all the vegetables left in pieces, and it would be just as delicious.

But personally, I love blending the vegetable base, especially when I’m cooking for my kids! 😂

If you’re a parent, you already know how picky little ones can sometimes be when they see certain vegetables floating around in their soup.

One day they love carrots, the next day they act like they’ve never seen a carrot in their life! 🤣

So this is one of my favourite ways to get a variety of vegetables into a meal without making such a big deal about what’s inside.

I blend the turnips, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic and half of the white beans until everything becomes a beautiful, smooth and creamy broth.

Then I add the cabbage, remaining white beans and sliced chouriço.

You still get plenty of texture, but the vegetable base is nice and smooth.

And let me tell you, the potatoes and white beans make this soup SO creamy without needing a single drop of cream!

🥣 What Is Sopa de Nabo?

Sopa de Nabo simply translates to Turnip Soup in Portuguese.

Turnips, or nabos, are a wonderful ingredient in traditional Portuguese home cooking, particularly in soups and vegetable dishes.

They have a slightly earthy flavour that becomes much milder and sweeter once cooked.

If you’ve never cooked with turnips before, don’t let them intimidate you!

When combined with potatoes, carrots and white beans, they blend beautifully into the soup without overpowering the other ingredients.

For this version, I also used Savoy cabbage, known as couve-lombarda, which adds a lovely texture and flavour.

And of course, a little Portuguese chouriço! Because sometimes that’s all you need to take a simple pot of vegetables to another level. ❤️

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Portuguese Turnip Soup

Simple, everyday ingredients: Nothing fancy, just good homemade food.
One-pot cooking: Everything cooks together, making preparation incredibly easy.
Naturally creamy: Potatoes and white beans create a thick, velvety broth without cream.
Family-friendly: Blending the vegetables is a great option for children who prefer smoother soups.
Hearty and satisfying: Between the beans, vegetables and chouriço, this soup can easily be a meal on its own.
Easy to customize: Make it chunky, creamy, vegetarian or add your favourite greens.
Perfect for leftovers: It reheats beautifully and makes a wonderful lunch the next day.

🛒 Ingredients You’ll Need

The ingredients for this soup are incredibly simple, and chances are you already have most of them in your kitchen!

Turnips (nabos): The star ingredient! They add a mild, earthy flavour and blend beautifully with the other vegetables.

Potatoes (batatas): Help create that thick, creamy consistency.

Carrots (cenouras): Add natural sweetness and a lovely colour to the broth.

Onion and garlic (cebola e alho): Two ingredients you’ll find in just about every Portuguese kitchen!

White beans (feijão branco): I use half to thicken the broth and leave the remaining half whole for texture.

Portuguese chouriço: Adds a delicious smoky flavour while cooking directly in the broth.

Olive Oil: Good Portuguese Olive Oil, a staple in every home.

Savoy cabbage (couve-lombarda): I used approximately half a head, finely sliced.

Bay leaf (folha de louro): A simple but essential ingredient in so many Portuguese dishes.

Chicken broth: Approximately six cups, enough to cook the vegetables and create the soup base.

Salt and white pepper: To season everything to taste.

Portuguese olive oil and freshly cracked black pepper: The perfect finishing touch!

👩‍🍳 How to Make Sopa de Nabo com Feijão e Chouriço

Step 1: Prepare Your Vegetables 🥕

Start by peeling and chopping your potatoes, carrots, turnips, onion and garlic.

Don’t worry about cutting everything perfectly because these vegetables will eventually be blended.

Step 2: Everything Into One Pot! 🥣

Add the potatoes, carrots, turnips, onion, garlic, bay leaf and half of your drained white beans to a large soup pot.

Place your whole Portuguese chouriço into the pot and pour in approximately six cups of chicken broth and olive oil.

That’s it! No complicated steps or separate sautéing required.

The chouriço will slowly release its flavour into the broth as everything cooks together.

Step 3: Let Everything Cook ❤️

Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and allow everything to simmer gently for approximately 25–35 minutes, or until all the vegetables are completely tender.

You want the potatoes, carrots and turnips soft enough to blend easily.

If using raw chouriço, make sure it’s thoroughly cooked according to the package instructions.

Step 4: Remove the Chouriço and Bay Leaf

Once the vegetables are tender, carefully remove the whole chouriço and bay leaf.

Discard the bay leaf and set the chouriço aside to cool slightly before slicing it into rounds.

Step 5: Blend Until Creamy ✨

Using an immersion blender, blend all the cooked vegetables and the first half of the white beans directly in the broth until completely smooth.

This is my favourite part!

You’ll notice how the potatoes and beans naturally thicken the soup, creating the most beautiful creamy base.

If the soup is too thick, simply add a little extra chicken broth or water until you reach your desired consistency.

Step 6: Add the Cabbage, Beans and Chouriço 🥬

Once your soup base is blended, add the finely sliced Savoy cabbage, remaining whole white beans and sliced chouriço.

Season with white pepper and salt if needed.

Allow everything to simmer for another 10–15 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender.

Step 7: Serve and Enjoy! 🇵🇹

Ladle your soup into bowls and finish with freshly cracked black pepper and a generous drizzle of good Portuguese olive oil.

And that’s it!

A beautiful, hearty Portuguese soup made with simple ingredients and plenty of love.

Bom apetite! ❤️

🥬 Creamy or Rustic? You Decide!

Something I always like to remind people about Portuguese soups is that there’s no single way every family makes them.

Some people love their soups completely blended, while others prefer a more rustic consistency with chunks of vegetables throughout.

And honestly, both are delicious!

For a creamy soup: Follow my method and blend the potatoes, carrots, turnips, onions, garlic and half of the white beans. Add the cabbage, remaining beans and chouriço afterward.

For a rustic soup: Skip the blending altogether! Simply cut your vegetables into smaller, bite-sized pieces and allow everything to simmer until tender. Add the cabbage toward the end.

For something in between: Blend only a portion of the vegetables and leave the rest chunky.

This is why I love homemade Portuguese soup so much. You can take the same ingredients and create something slightly different every time!

🫘 Why Add White Beans to Portuguese Soup?

If you’ve followed my recipes for a while, you know I love finding simple ways to make our meals more filling and nutritious.

And white beans are perfect for that!

Not only do they add fibre and plant-based protein, but they’re also a wonderful natural thickener.

Instead of using cream or flour, I simply blend half the beans with the cooked vegetables.

The result is a smooth, velvety broth that feels rich and satisfying without being heavy.

I also love keeping some beans whole because they add a little extra texture and make the soup feel like a proper meal.

Between the beans, potatoes, vegetables and chouriço, this is definitely one of those soups that will keep you full for hours! 😂

🌿 Different Ways to Make This Portuguese Soup

One of the things I love most about our Portuguese soups is how versatile they are.

You can easily change a few ingredients depending on what you have available.

🥬 Swap the cabbage: Use kale, collard greens, Portuguese cabbage or turnip greens instead of Savoy cabbage.

🫘 Try different beans: White kidney beans, cannellini beans or butter beans all work beautifully.

🥔 Make it extra creamy: Add another potato or blend a larger portion of the beans.

🍗 Add chicken: For another variation, simmer chicken breast with the vegetables, remove it before blending, shred it and return it to the soup.

🍝 Add pasta or rice: A small handful of massa pevide (orzo) or rice can make the soup even more substantial. Add extra broth as needed and cook until tender.

🥕 Make it rustic: Leave the vegetables whole or chunky instead of blending.

🌱 Make it vegetarian: Omit the chouriço and use vegetable broth.

The possibilities are endless, and that’s what makes Portuguese home cooking so special!

🇵🇹 The Beauty of Homemade Portuguese Soup

I think sometimes we forget just how wonderful the simplest meals can be.

Portuguese cooking has always been about making the most of what we have, using fresh ingredients and creating meals that bring everyone together.

And soup is such a perfect example of that.

You don’t need expensive ingredients or complicated techniques.

A few potatoes, carrots, turnips, beans, some cabbage and a little chouriço can turn into a pot of something incredibly comforting.

Growing up around Portuguese cooking, you quickly realize that so many of our soups are variations of the same beautiful idea.

A nourishing vegetable base, something green, sometimes beans or pasta, and always plenty of flavour.

That’s the kind of cooking I love sharing here at Rainha da Cozinha. ❤️

❄️ How to Store and Reheat

This soup is wonderful for making ahead, especially if you love having homemade meals ready throughout the week.

Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days.

Freezer: Freeze in individual portions for up to three months.

Reheating: Warm gently on the stovetop, adding a little water or chicken broth if the soup has thickened.

Because of the potatoes and white beans, the soup will naturally become thicker as it sits.

A splash of broth will bring it right back to that beautiful creamy consistency.

❤️ A Little Love From My Cozinha

If there’s one recipe I think every family should have in their rotation, it’s a good homemade Portuguese vegetable soup.

They’re easy, comforting, affordable and such a wonderful way to use up vegetables you already have sitting in your fridge.

And don’t be afraid to change things around!

Add a little more cabbage, swap the greens, leave the vegetables chunky or blend everything together.

That’s the beauty of cooking at home. You make it work for your family.

For us, this Sopa de Nabo com Feijão e Chouriço was an absolute winner. It was so filling that we barely needed anything else throughout the day!

Serve it with a slice of fresh Portuguese bread, and you’ve got yourself one delicious meal. 🇵🇹🥖

If you give this recipe a try, tag me on instagram, I’d love to hear how you make yours!

Bom apetite! ❤️

With love from my cozinha,

Sandrinha