A Portuguese “Sopa” for Health & Vitality, By Cindy Azevedo, ND Student, University of Bridgeport

Thursday, November 11, 2010

One thing that has been a big part of my identity and for which I am proud and grateful is my full-blooded Portuguese descent. My family is from a small island, Terceira, which is found in the Açorean archipelago. Terceira may be small, but the vibrancy of the island folks is larger than life. Where else can you find street bullfighting as a big sport?!?! Due to my Portuguese heritage, I LOVE soups or “sopas” and grew up eating a lot of it!

One herb that is very well incorporated into the Portuguese cuisines and “sopas”, is the good old’ pungent garlic or “alho”. “Alho” is a total body tonic and broad-spectrum antiseptic that repels not only vampires, but mosquitoes, insects, high cholesterol, and those seasonal colds and flues. Gotta love it!

A simple “sopa” to try on your own and share with your patients is called Garlic Soup or “Açorda de alhos”. “Açordas” are very simple substantial bread-based soups with very inexpensive and simple ingredients that can serve as an appetizer or the main dish. “Açordas” were meant to help sustain peasants during through their hard days of manual work. So don’t get rid of the day-olds breads (“pão”)!! Every scrap of bread (before the growth of mold of course!) can be used.

This recipe serves about four. The ingredients:

• About 4-5 crushed whole garlic cloves

• Some salt and pepper

• Some chopped cilantro or parsley

• Olive oil

• Firm country bread or left-overs (“Pão)

• Poached eggs

• At least 4 cups of boiling chicken/vegetable stock

The instructions are as simple as the ingredients:

Mix the crushed garlic cloves, pinch of salt and pepper, and olive oil into the pan that is over low heat for a few minutes. Then add in the chicken/vegetable stock and continue to heat until it boils. Now add the bread into a soup bowl. Pour the broth mix over the bread. Then top with a poached egg and season with fresh parsley or cilantro.

Enjoy, Peace, and in Health! Bom Aproveito, Paz, e Saúde!

posted by Innate Response at

2:16 PM

A Portuguese “Sopa” for Health & Vitality, By Cindy Azevedo, ND Student, University of Bridgeport

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