Portuguese Sopa da Pedra: Hearty Stone Soup with Red Beans, Chourico and Potatoes

If using dried beans, drain the soaked beans, cover with fresh water in a large pot and simmer 60 to 75 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight (or 2 cans, drained)
• 8 ounces chourico or Spanish chorizo, sliced
• 4 ounces smoked bacon, diced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 3 cups shredded savoy cabbage
• 8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 clean smooth stone (optional, for serving)

Instructions

1. If using dried beans, drain the soaked beans, cover with fresh water in a large pot and simmer 60 to 75 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large Dutch oven, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the bacon and chourico and cook 5 minutes until the fat renders and the edges brown. Scoop out half the chourico and reserve for garnish.
3. Stir in the onion, garlic and bay leaves and cook 6 to 8 minutes until the onion is soft and golden.
4. Add the potatoes, carrots and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 15 minutes until the potatoes are nearly tender.
5. Add the cooked beans and the cabbage. Simmer 10 minutes more until the cabbage is silky and the broth has thickened slightly.
6. Ladle out 1 cup of the beans and potatoes, mash with a fork and stir back in to give the soup a rich, creamy body.
7. Season generously with salt and pepper, remove the bay leaves and stir in the cilantro.
8. Serve in deep bowls topped with the reserved chourico, and drop a scrubbed, boiled stone into the pot for the full legend. Crusty bread on the side is mandatory.
9. Sopa da Pedra comes from Almeirim in central Portugal, where a folk tale tells of a wandering friar who tricked a stingy household into feeding him by claiming he could make soup from a stone, asking for just a little bean, a little sausage and a little potato to improve it. The dish became a symbol of generosity and clever hospitality, and around Halloween the dark, bubbling pot with its mysterious stone makes a wonderfully witchy lunch for a cold night.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 445 kcal
• Protein: 24g
• Fat: 19g
• Carbohydrates: 46g
• Fiber: 12g
• Sugar: 6g
• Sodium: 1020mg