Sopas do Espírito Santo Rápidas
Sopas do Espírito Santo·(so-pash doo esh-pee-ree-too san-too)
Dias de Festa
This isn't soup in the American sense; it's a magnificent, archaic ritual of meat, bread, and time, engineered for the busy modern kitchen without losing an ounce of its soul. In the Azores, this dish feeds entire villages out of massive iron cauldrons to celebrate the Holy Spirit. Here, a pressure cooker compresses hours of slow-simmering beef into a weeknight triumph. The secret isn't the pot, though—it's the meticulous skimming of the broth, the spice bundle of cinnamon and allspice, and the crucial final act: drowning buttered, stale bread and fresh mint in boiling broth until it swells into a savory, custardy marvel.
Before you start
Leave the bread out to stale overnight.
Fresh sandwich bread will dissolve into unpalatable mush. You must use a sturdy, crusty artisanal loaf and let it dry out so it can absorb the hot broth.
Create the spice bundle.
Tie the onion, garlic, cinnamon, allspice, and malagueta into a square of cheesecloth secured with butcher's twine. This 'boneca' perfumes the broth without leaving gritty fragments behind.
Ingredients
- bone-in beef chuck roast3 lb
- beef soup bones1 lb
- kosher salt1 tbsp
- water8 cup
- yellow onion1 large
- cloves garlic6 large
- whole cinnamon sticks2
- whole allspice berries15
- massa de malagueta1 tbsp
- dry white wine1/2 cup
- green cabbage1/2 med
- rustic bread loaf1 large
- unsalted butter3 tbsp
- fresh mint1 large bunch
Method
- 01
Boil the beef and bones in the water, and meticulously skim away the grey foam for ten to fifteen minutes.
Do this in the pressure cooker on the sauté function before sealing; this non-negotiable step separates a murky stew from an elegant, authentic broth.
- 02
Add the spice bundle and wine, seal the pressure cooker, and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.
The pressure environment bypasses hours of simmering, breaking down the highly cross-linked collagen in the chuck roast until it is practically falling off the bone.
- 03
Butter the stale bread slices and layer them heavily with fresh mint leaves in the bottom of a large, deep tureen.
This is the aromatic foundation of the dish. Do not skip the mint; it is what creates the iconic, nostalgic aroma of the islands.
- 04
Release the pressure, transfer the tender beef and bones to a platter, and discard the spice bundle.
Let the cooker naturally release for 10 minutes before opening, and keep the meat warm under foil while you finish the broth.
- 05
Boil the cabbage in the deeply spiced, marrow-rich broth until tender.
Turn the machine back to sauté, drop the cabbage chunks and one tablespoon of butter into the boiling liquid, and cook for about eight minutes.
- 06
Cascade the boiling broth directly over the mint-layered bread and steep it tightly covered for ten minutes.
This is the traditional 'abafar' method. The hot liquid hits the volatile oils of the mint, and the sealed environment forces the dry bread to swell into a rich, savory custard without disintegrating. Serve the tender cabbage over the soaked bread, with the braised beef alongside.
Notes
Sourcing massa de malagueta.
This Azorean pepper paste provides a subtle, earthy undertone. If you can't find it at a local international market, substitute one teaspoon of high-quality sweet paprika mixed with a tiny pinch of cayenne.
Do not skip the skimming.
Failing to skim the coagulated blood proteins from the beef during the initial boil will result in a cloudy, bitter broth.