Chicken Sopas
Every Filipino child most likely has been exposed to chicken sopas. It is one of our favorite breakfast or merienda. I loved the way my Nanay made sopas. When I was an adult already, I would buy chicken sopas from carinderia and it would have mostly the pasta, very little of meat, veggies, and usually no milk.
Well, in an attempt to recreate my Nanay's sopas, here is my method:
Ingredients:
8 cups (or 2 quarts) chicken stock
1 lb pasta (either shell or elbow, medium size)
1-2 cups pre-cooked strips/cubes of chicken(leftover roast chicken, for example)
1/4 cabbage, cut into strips
1 medium carrot, peeled, then prepare "thin slices" using peeler
1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream or milk (depends on how creamy you want it)
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Boil chicken stock. Maintain on high heat.
Add pasta, stir frequently during first few minutes and let cook for about 8 minutes with occasional stirring.
Add pre-cooked meat and veggies. Adjust taste with salt and pepper.
Turn off heat (for conduction cooktop) or turn heat to lowest (for flame stovetop) and add the heavy cream or milk while still hot, continuously stirring. DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL. It should only be steamy but not boiling, or else milk will coagulate and soup won't be creamy. Stop when you have achieved your desired consistency, and completely removed from heat source.
I love chicken sopas anytime. I cook my version the way it’s done in my dad’s hometown. I use spaghetti pasta cut into 1-inch long (I cut them by hand before boiling). I sauté garlic, onion and chicken (pre-boiled to have the stock) and then add the stock. Sometimes, I also add slices of chicken vienna sausage and I serve it with hard-boiled eggs.
ReplyDeleteHi Nina,
ReplyDeleteThat's the way sopas was served in the dorm where I stayed during med school days. I liked it, too, taste-wise.
I don't think I've ever had this (but then again, we moved to Canada when I was 5 yrs old). It looks wonderful so of course I must try it!
ReplyDeletethanks for your recipes...i should try it for my kids..
ReplyDeleteTN and estella,
ReplyDeletedefinitely a must-try for getting more calcium into our kids' bones the yummy way!
Oh my! This looks so rich and hearty. It's fall here in California, weather is getting chilly~perfect! I like the use of heavy cream. Have you tried it with cream cheese? Deliciously creamy and simple!
ReplyDeleteMade this last night and my filipina wife and son loved it. The only thing is my noodles soaked up all the both and I used 12 cups instead of the 8. I used the mini shells, maybe for the shells, 8z would have been enough. Either way this was a great recipe, thanks again.
ReplyDeletei love this recipe, ty
ReplyDeletewow, I can't believe I forgot about this. Thanks for bringing back PI memories.. I have left over chicken from Walmart, I will try this recipe this week. Again, thanks a million..
ReplyDeleteMeL, your comment just prompted me to make this sopas for tomorrow. It's been a long time since I last made it. I also have leftover chicken from Walmart (my friend brought last Sunday when I invited several of my Pinay friends over to enjoy the pool, as well as my homemade ube-macapuno ice cream and halo-halo, with us). Right now, I am slow-cooking the carcass for a tasty broth for this sopas. :)
ReplyDeletesopas
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