Sopa de Tomate Alentejana (Sopa de tomate à alentejana)
Overview
Sopa de tomate alentejana is a rustic tomato soup from the Alentejo region of southern Portugal. Onions, garlic and sweet green pepper are cooked slowly in plenty of olive oil, then ripe summer tomatoes go in and cook down to a thick, sweet base with bay leaf and fresh coriander. Water is added to make a chunky soup, and eggs are poached directly in it at the end. It is served poured over slices of dense, day-old country bread, and many families add a few slices of chouriço or a fried sardine. It is filling and warm despite being a summer dish.
History
The Alentejo is a hot, dry farming region known for its olive oil, bread and pork, and its cooking makes the most of simple ingredients. Bread soups called açordas and sopas are a central part of the local diet. Sopa de tomate is made at the end of summer when tomatoes are plentiful, and it is still served in many traditional taverns across the region.
Main ingredients
Ripe tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, eggs, country bread. The soup is built on water and is usually served hot. Diet: vegetarian; not usually gluten-free.
Explore: Tomato soups · Egg soups · More soups from Portugal
Recipe
Method
- 115 min
Cook the onions, garlic and pepper slowly in the oil for 15 minutes.
- 210 min
Add the tomatoes and bay leaf and cook for 10 minutes until thick.
- 310 min
Add the water and coriander, season and simmer for 10 minutes.
- 44 min
Crack in the eggs and poach for 4 minutes, then serve over the bread.
- ✓
Serve. About 50 min from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
