INSIDERS’ VIEW ON TRADITIONAL PORTUGUESE SOUPS
Soups, a staple of the Portuguese eating habits, can be classed as one of the most inexpensive yet versatile foods to cook. The variety of Portuguese soups is endless. From hearty, warming stews to light and refreshing broths that are perfect on a hot summer day, soups are eclectic and there’s always a recipe for everyone. Between hearty kale soup, chicken soup, and gaspacho there?s no shortage of tasty options. Portuguese soup recipes included!
Does soup still play a role in Portuguese eating habits?
In Portugal, soup season is all year. Hot soup is an essential part of Portuguese diet.
Until recently, tradition dictates that soup was often served as a starter before lunch or dinner. This was considered healthy and a balanced meal but for many Portuguese kids, this could also feel like torture!
But soup can also make an excellent main dish, both savory and filling. It?s a great option for those on a budget, particularly when temperatures drop during winter.
In any Portuguese restaurant or tasca you will always see at least one soup on the menu, barely costing more than a euro makes it one of the cheapest dishes you can find in Lisbon.
Homemade coconut Thai soup
Sure, during the last 20 years we have seen a change in the traditional dietary habits: new ingredients, new techniques, new trends, new influences.
Portuguese locals still eat soup frequently but, probably not as much as before, but this is because we love the influx of other types of cuisines, from different corners of the world – especially in our cities -, and we love to taste diversity!
For instance, if you are having a sushi dinner (or ?having sushi for dinner?), you will not order a Portuguese soup! The same applies to a Mexican lunch, or a Peruvian dinner. But, on the other hand, it?s amazing to see how the younger generations are embracing other types of soups, like ramens and wonton soups, that you can easily find in areas like Martim Moniz (in Lisbon).
So, if you think about soup in a more in-depth way, you will notice that it?s still a frequent dish in Portuguese diet. And how couldn?t that be?
The undeniable power of soups
Soup is one of the most important and essential elements in the gastronomic world and transversal to all cultures.
A primarily liquid food, soups are made by combining meat, vegetables, and fish with stock or water.
Japanese food culture, which can be found in UNESCO?s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, is said to be based on the ‘one soup, three vegetables’ principle, providing the ideal balance of nutrients.
In Portugal, in poor households, soup was often the main dish: balanced, rich in nutrients and easy to do with whatever ingredients were had on hand. The example of a