Sopa da PedraPortuguese Stone Soup from Almeirim

Sopa da pedra is a thick bean soup from Almeirim, a town in the Ribatejo, packed with red kidney beans, pork, chouriço, morcela and potatoes. It's loved because it's really a stew in soup form: one bowl and a slice of bread is a full meal. Almeirim's restaurants have built a name on it, and you'll find it on menus all over Portugal.

The name comes from a legend. A hungry friar knocked on a door and said he only needed a pot and a stone to make soup. Then he asked for a little salt, then some beans, then a piece of chouriço, until the "stone soup" was full of everything good in the house. Restaurants in Almeirim still serve it with a clean stone in the pot.

The two things that make it work: cook the beans slowly with the meats, so the broth takes all their flavour, and add a big bunch of coriander at the end, which is what makes it taste of the Ribatejo.

The recipe

Sopa da PedraPortuguese Stone Soup from Almeirim

Sopa da pedra recipe from Almeirim: red beans, chouriço, morcela, pork and potatoes in a thick, coriander-scented soup. A meal in a bowl for 6.

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Prep20 min

Cook100 min

Total120 min

Serves6

Ingredients

MetricUS

Serves

6

½×1×2×3×

• 400 g dried red kidney beans (feijão encarnado), soaked overnight
• 250 g pork belly (entremeada), in one piece
• 1 pig's ear (orelha de porco), cleaned (optional but traditional)
• 1 chouriço (about 200 g)
• 1 morcela (Portuguese blood sausage, about 150 g)
• 2 litres water
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 600 g potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
• 1 carrot, diced (optional)
• 1 large bunch coriander, chopped
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 clean, smooth stone, scrubbed and boiled (optional, for the story)

Method

1. Drain the soaked beans and put them in a large pot with the pork belly, pig's ear, water, onions, garlic, bay leaves and olive oil. Bring to the boil, skim off any foam, then simmer gently, half covered, for 45 minutes.
2. Add the whole chouriço and morcela. Simmer for another 25–30 minutes, until the beans are soft and the pork belly is tender.
3. Lift out all the meats and sausages. Leave them to cool a little on a board.
4. Add the potatoes and carrot to the pot. Cook for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are soft and starting to break up and thicken the soup. Add a little hot water if it gets too thick.
5. Slice the chouriço and morcela into rounds. Cut the pork belly and pig's ear into small bite-sized pieces.
6. Return the meats to the pot with most of the coriander. Simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper: the sausages are salty, so add salt only at this stage.
7. Drop the boiled stone into the pot if you're using one. Serve in deep bowls, topped with the rest of the coriander.

Notes

Clear ticks

Tap ingredients and steps to tick them off. Scaling changes the quantities at the start of each line; check the rest by eye.

The legend and the town

The friar story is told all over Europe, and in Portugal it belongs to Almeirim. It's a legend, not history, but it explains the stone you'll find at the bottom of your bowl in a Ribatejo restaurant. Read more about Portugal's bean and vegetable soups in our Portuguese soups guide.

What to serve with it

Sopa da pedra needs nothing but crusty bread. A dense Portuguese loaf is ideal, see our Portuguese bread guide. If you want a starter before something lighter, serve small bowls and follow with grilled fish. For another bean-and-pork pot, try feijoada à transmontana.

Make ahead and storage

Like most bean soups, it's better the next day. Keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat gently, adding a splash of water. It freezes well for 3 months, though the potatoes turn a little grainy. Add fresh coriander when you reheat.

From the shop

What you’ll need

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