Codfish Soup (100 ways to cook codfish and other types of fish)
There is no place in Portugal without its typical codfish soup. There are many variations. With or without vegetables, with or without stock, codfish soup is just another uplifting recipe made with our loyal friend.
This soup is originally from rural areas around the country, but it is mostly successful in Alentejo.
The so-called Sopa de bacalhau do conselheiro comes from the family recipe of Mr Domingos Pereira de Braga, who was the mayor in 1919. There are records showing that this soup was extremely appreciated in the whole region.
Alentejo’s codfish soup is often made with spinach. In Alto Alentejo spinach is replaced with curly dock.
The ‘Almoço da Freira Spinach Soup’ is also a variant of this region’s codfish soup. Farmers would prepare this soup on the day of the fair and serve it to family and friends.
Stock-free soup, which was usually prepared with meat or vegetables, became obviously worthy of a codfish variant.
After soaking it, cook the codfish and remove all of its skin and bones and cut it in tiny pieces. Leave the water to simmer. Break the bread into a tureen, add the frayed cod, and the water where it cooked. Cover the tureen and leave the bread to soften. Braise a well-chopped onion and olive oil. Once the onion is brown, add the mashed bread and codfish.
On the side, dissolve the saffron in the water used for cooking the codfish and add it to the soup; mix it well and season with plenty of butter, chopped parsley, pepper, and refined salt.
Guedes, F. (2001). As 100 maneiras de cozinhar Bacalhau e outros peixes. Lisboa: Publicações Dom Quixote, p. 64-65
Saramago, A. (2000). Cozinha do Minho. (pp.53) Lisboa: Assírio & Alvim, p. 53; 78
Selecções do Reader’s Digest. (1984). Tesouros da Cozinha Tradicional Portuguesa. Porto.