"Sopa de la Abuela," or "Grandma Soup," as it's called by both names in our house, is an incredibly flavorful, comforting soup that Leo's grandma used to make for him. It's one of the simplest recipes, fast and easy to make, and we enjoy it year-round. It's best with a little crusty bread.
The pasta used in this soup is acini di pepe, which I'd never heard of before. It's a tiny pasta- acini di pepe means "peppercorns" and indeed they are exactly that size. They're really just tiny balls of dough.
We serve this soup as my husband eats virtually all soup - with a very healthy serving of Parmesan cheese. Leo's Italian side is partial to grated Parmesan and he's easily satisfied with a giant jar of Kraft Parmesan cheese from Costco, so that's what we use. It might be a little pedestrian for some who might prefer a freshly grated cheese, but Leo hasn't complained yet.
Ingredients:
Water (approximately 2-3 cups per person being served)
Knorr vegetable stock cubes (1 cube for every 4-6 cups water)
Acini di pepe pasta (approximately 1/4 c. per person being served)
Parmesan cheese to taste
Put 4-6 cups of water in a pot and throw in a couple of Knorr cubes. Wait until the water is at a rolling boil, then add 1/2 box of acini di pepe pasta. Let the pasta cook for about 10-11 minutes, stirring occasionally, then when the pasta is just a bit al dente, turn off the heat and ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese liberally over the top of the soup and serve with crusty bread.
That's it????? I'm a bit incredulous that such a simple recipe could turn into a "favorite." But, hey, I'll give it a try...and let you know later what we think!
ReplyDeleteRae,
ReplyDeleteSimple recipes often yield impressive results. In fact, many of our favorites are quite simple and easy to make.
The favored status of this particular soup in our home has a great deal to do with the memories my husband has of his grandmother making this soup for him in Uruguay. That said, since the first day I made this for the kids, they've asked for it regularly. They LOVE it!!