This hearty country vegetable soup comes from Ribatejo Province, but is popular all over the country. The legend is that a beggar asked a poor couple for something to eat, and when they declared their cupboard bare, he started to make soup with stones, and upon asking if they had a carrot, then an onion, and so on, finally got them to give him enough vegetables for soup. Now, the kidney beans represent the stones.

Recipe Tags:

Cooking Time: about 1-1/4 hours

Preparation Time:

Servings: 8 to 10

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Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp (25 mL) olive oil
  • 3 Ontario Onions, coarsely chopped
  • 3 Ontario Leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • 3 each Ontario Potatoes and Ontario Carrots, diced
  • 2 cloves Ontario Garlic, minced
  • 3 cups (750 mL) Ontario Cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 7 cups (1.75 L) chicken broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 8 oz (250 g) piece smoked Ontario Ham
  • 5 oz (125 g) chunk chorizo (or other spicy sausage)
  • 1 can (19 oz/540 mL) tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 can (19 oz/540 mL) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 cup (125 mL) elbow macaroni
  • 1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped fresh Ontario Parsley, preferably flat-leaf
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook onions and leeks for 10 minutes, stirring often. Stir in potatoes, carrots, garlic and cabbage. Add broth, bay leaf, ham and chorizo; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

Remove ham and chorizo; dice and return to pot. Add tomatoes and kidney beans, breaking up tomatoes with wooden spoon. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add macaroni; simmer until al dente, about 10 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Stir in parsley, salt and pepper to taste.

Nutritional information

1 Serving (When recipe serves 10):

  • PROTEIN: 15 grams
  • FAT: 9 grams
  • CARBOHYDRATE: 37 grams
  • CALORIES: 290
  • SOURCE OF FIBRE