Sopas is a Filipino macaroni soup made with elbow macaroni, various vegetables, and meat (usually chicken), in a creamy broth with evaporated milk. Sometimes, people would use Spaghetti instead of elbow macaroni as an alternative. This variant of Sopas is called Spapas. It is regarded as a comfort food in the Philippines and is typically eaten during breakfast, cold weather, or served to sick people.[1][2][3]
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| Alternative names | creamy macaroni soup |
|---|---|
| Type | Pasta |
| Course | Main dish |
| Place of origin | Philippines |
| Serving temperature | hot, warm |
| Main ingredients | elbow macaroni, evaporated milk, chicken (or beef/pork), butter, garlic, onion |
| Similar dishes | chicken noodle soup, sopa de fideo, suam na mais, lugaw, arroz caldo, chicken macaroni salad |
Origin
editThe dish is the Filipino version of the American chicken noodle soup, introduced during the American colonial period of the Philippines. The name simply means "soup" in Tagalog, from Spanish sopa ("soup").[4]
Description
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Sopas is relatively easy to make. The meat is boiled first until tender. Sopas usually use chicken, but can also use beef or more rarely, diced pork or even turkey. It can also use leftover meat or processed meat like corned beef.[5] It is usually removed once tender and shredded with the bones discarded, but some recipes skip this part. The stock is saved for later.[6] Garlic and onions are then sautéed in butter briefly, before the stock is re-added and brought to a boil.[7]
Various finely diced vegetables are added and allowed to soften. The most commonly used are carrots and celery.[8] Roughly chopped cabbage, another common ingredient, is added just before the dish is completely cooked.[2] Some variants may also use finely diced potatoes, green peas, green beans, or kinchay (Chinese celery).[9][10] It is also common to exclude vegetables altogether.[4]
The elbow macaroni is added last, along with finely diced hotdogs, Vienna sausages, ham.[2][11] The macaroni is cooked until al dente. It is spiced with salt and black pepper to taste. Once cooked, it is removed from the fire and evaporated milk is added. It is served hot or warm, and usually garnished with chopped scallions.[7]
It is usually consumed immediately, as the macaroni will absorb the liquid and become soggy and bloated over time.[11]
The steps may vary. Some versions boil the macaroni throughout, resulting in a soft mushy texture. Others do not de-bone or shred the meat, and may brown it beforehand by sautéing it with the garlic and onions.[5] Others also prepare the dish faster by using store-bought bouillon cubes rather than prepare the stock.[12][13]
A distinct cheap version of the dish is corned beef sopas which uses corned beef in place of chicken. Its preparation is identical to classic versions, though it does not need to be boiled beforehand.[14]
See also
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References
edit- ^ "Creamy Chicken Sopas (Filipino Chicken Macaroni Soup)". Manila Spoon. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Chicken Noodle Soup (Sopas) – Filipino version". Foxy Folksy. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
- ^ "Top 18 Delicious Filipino Soup Recipes for Rainy days". Pinoy Recipe at Iba Pa. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
- ^ a b "Chicken Sopas". Ang Sarap. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
- ^ a b "How to Cook Sopas - the Creamy Filipino Macaroni Soup". Delishably. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
- ^ "Creamy Chicken Sopas Recipe and Preparation Tips". Recipe ni Juan. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
- ^ a b Angeles, Mira. "Chicken Sopas (Chicken Soup) Recipe". Yummy.ph. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
- ^ "Recipe: Chicken Sopas". ABS-CBN News. July 18, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
- ^ "Chicken Sopas". Kawaling Pinoy. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
- ^ Miranda, Roselle. "5 Ways To Make Sopas Better and Tastier". Yummy.ph. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
- ^ a b Merano, Vanjo. "Creamy Chicken Sopas". Panlasang Pinoy. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
- ^ Brooke, CJ. "Creamy Macaroni Chicken Soup (Sopas)". Genius Kitchen. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
- ^ Colón-Singh, Rose Y. "How To Cook Sopas: The Deliciously Comforting Filipino Chicken Soup". Fine Dining Lovers. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
- ^ "Corned Beef Sopas: My Mom cooked corned Beef Macaroni Soup". Kusina ni Teds. Retrieved May 3, 2020.