This sopa à Portuguesa recipe is the comfort food I grew up eating when the weather turned cold. Now, I make for my own family! With smoky sausage, fresh veggies, and tender pasta, it’s nutritious, delicious, and filling, and somehow tastes even better the next day, making it great for meal prep.
Jump to:
- What is Sopa à Portuguesa?
- Ingredients and Notes
- Serving Suggestions
- How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
- Sopa à Portuguesa (Portuguese Soup)
- FAQs
- Can I use different vegetables in sopa à Portuguesa?
- Can I make sopa à Portuguesa vegetarian?
- Can I make sopa à Portuguesa in a slow cooker?
- Can I make Portuguese soup in an Instant Pot?
- More Delicious Recipes
What is Sopa à Portuguesa?
I start every year with sopa à Portuguesa and continue to make it frequently throughout the cold winter months! A hearty, traditional Portuguese soup, it’s made with vegetables, beans, sausage, broth, and small pasta and is designed to be super filling, making enough for the entire family.
Unlike smoother soups, like caldo verde or sopa de legumes, sopa à Portuguesa is chunky with pieces of sausage, chopped veggies, beans, and pasta in every bite. It’s a “throw everything in a pot” type of soup that simmers long and slow, filling the house with the most irresistible smell. Truly the definition of comfort food, it’s a family-friendly option you’ll want in your rotation!
Ingredients and Notes
Scroll down to the recipe card for the complete ingredient list and instructions!
- Oil - Olive oil helps sear the sausage and cook the veggies, enhancing their flavour and adding a slightly peppery taste to the soup.
- Portuguese Chouriço Sausage - A type of cured sausage seasoned with garlic and paprika, this gives the soup its signature smoky, savoury taste. If you can’t find chouriço, substitute Spanish chorizo or smoked kielbasa instead. The flavour will be slightly different but similar and still delicious!
- Veggies - Onion, garlic, leeks, carrots, turnips, potatoes, and green cabbage create a chunky broth, adding flavour, nutrients, and bulk to the soup.
- Red Beans - Make sure to use cooked or canned red beans that have been drained and rinsed.
- Broth - Chicken broth forms the base of the soup. I recommend using low-sodium broth, so you have better control over the saltiness of the soup!
- Chicken Bouillon - This is technically optional, but highly recommended to enhance the savoriness of the broth.
- Tomato Paste - This helps thicken the soup and adds a slightly acidic taste, which enhances the savoriness of the veggies and sausage. It doesn’t make the soup taste tomato-y!
- Massa - A type of small Portuguese pasta, this cooks directly in the broth, soaking up flavour and helping to thicken the soup as it simmers. If you can’t find Portuguese massa, small pasta shapes, such as ditalini, elbow macaroni, or even broken spaghetti, can be used.
How to Make Sopa à Portuguesa
- Sear the sausage. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven on the stove. Add the sausage, and sear on both sides until lightly browned.
- Add the veggies. Add the onion and leeks, and cook until tender. Then, stir in the garlic, and cook just until fragrant.
- Season. Add the bay leaf, white pepper, and stir to combine.
- Simmer. Next, add the tomato paste, turnip, carrot, and potatoes. Stir to combine, add the broth, and salt to taste. Cover the pot, and simmer until the veggies are fork-tender.
- Add the pasta. Stir in the cabbage and beans, cover the pot again, and let the cabbage soften. Then, add the pasta, water, and chicken bouillon, cover, and cook until the pasta is al dente.
- Serve. Add a sprinkle of parsley, remove the bay leaf, and enjoy warm!
Serving Suggestions
Sopa à Portuguesa is meant to be served as a main course and is more than filling enough to enjoy on its own! Of course, you can never go wrong with a side of crusty bread or warm dinner rolls to help soak up all the broth. I always finish my bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, too.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
This recipe is great to prep ahead of time and enjoy throughout the week! Once cool, transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
To serve, warm individual bowls in 30-second increments in the microwave, or warm a large pot over medium heat on the stove. The pasta tends to absorb some of the broth as it sits. So, I always add a little extra broth to help loosen the soup back up.
You can also freeze sopa à Portuguesa for up to 3 months. However, if possible, I recommend omitting the pasta until you’re ready to serve. It tends to become mushy once frozen and thawed. Then, when you’re ready to eat, reheat the soup on the stove, add the pasta as usual, and let it cook through.
Sopa à Portuguesa (Portuguese Soup)
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot or Dutch Oven
- 1 Wooden Spoon or Heatproof Spatula
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Chef’s Knife
- 1 Ladle
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 chouriço sausage sliced
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 leek sliced (optional)
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 bay leaf
- White pepper to taste
- 1-2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 medium turnip peeled and diced
- 2 carrots sliced
- 2 medium potatoes peeled and diced
- 8½ cups chicken broth about 2 litres
- Salt to taste
- 2 cups green cabbage thinly sliced
- 1 cup cooked red beans drained and rinsed
- ¾-1 cup massa small Portuguese pasta
- 4 cups water for a more liquid soup
- 1 chicken bouillon knob optional
- Fresh parsley for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chouriço, and sear on both sides until lightly browned.2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 chouriço sausage
- Add the onion and leek (if using) and cook until tender. Stir in the garlic, and cook just until fragrant.1 medium onion, 1 leek, 3 garlic cloves
- Add the bay leaf and white pepper, stirring to combine.1 bay leaf, White pepper
- Stir in the tomato paste, turnip, carrots, and potatoes. Add the chicken broth, and season with salt to taste. Cover, and simmer until the vegetables are fork-tender, about 25-30 minutes.1-2 Tablespoons tomato paste, 1 medium turnip, 2 carrots, 2 medium potatoes, 8½ cups chicken broth, Salt
- Stir in the cabbage and red beans, cover, and cook until the cabbage begins to soften. Add the pasta, water, and chicken bouillon (if using). Cover and cook until the pasta is al dente.2 cups green cabbage, 1 cup cooked red beans, ¾-1 cup massa, 4 cups water, 1 chicken bouillon knob
- Remove the bay leaf, garnish with parsley if desired, and serve warm.Fresh parsley
Notes
- Refrigerator: Allow the soup to cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
- Freezer: This soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. For the best texture, freeze without the pasta, and add it fresh when reheating.
- Reheating: Reheat gently in a pot over medium heat on the stove, stirring occasionally. The pasta will absorb liquid as it sits. So, add extra broth or water as needed. Individual portions can also be reheated in the microwave.
FAQs
Can I use different vegetables in sopa à Portuguesa?
Yes! One of the best things about sopa à Portuguesa is how flexible it is. While this version uses carrots, turnips, potatoes, and cabbage, you can easily swap in other vegetables like celery, zucchini, green beans, or even kale, depending on what you have on hand. This soup is traditionally made as an “everything in the pot” style meal. So, feel free to adjust the vegetables to suit your taste or use up what’s in your fridge.
Can I make sopa à Portuguesa vegetarian?
Yes, for a vegetarian option, omit the chouriço and use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock. I recommend adding a dash of smoked paprika to replicate some of the savoury flavour you get from the sausage.
Can I make sopa à Portuguesa in a slow cooker?
Yes, this soup works very well in the slow cooker. Add all of the vegetables, beans, broth, water, seasonings, tomato paste, bay leaf, and sausage to the slow cooker, and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours, until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the pasta during the last 20-30 minutes of cooking so it doesn’t become too soft, and season to taste just before serving.
Can I make Portuguese soup in an Instant Pot?
Definitely. Use the sauté function to brown the chouriço and soften the onions, garlic, and leeks first. Then, add the remaining vegetables, beans, broth, water, tomato paste, bay leaf, and seasonings, and cook on high pressure for about 8-10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally, stir in the pasta, and use the sauté setting to simmer just until the pasta is tender.
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