The term sopas in Spanish simply means "soup", but Filipino cuisine has borrowed this word to indicate a specific creamy preparation based on chicken and macaroni. The traditional recipe involves cooking on the stove, but you can also use the slow cooker.
Ingrediants
Traditional Recipe on the Stove
For 6-8 people
- 2-2.5 liters of chicken broth or water
- 500 g of boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 400 g of raw macaroni or other short pasta
- 2 medium carrots, sliced
- 2 sliced celery sticks
- 30 ml of olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 minced garlic cloves
- 1 sliced sausage
- 15 ml of fish sauce
- 3 g of ground black pepper
- 3 g of salt
- 125 ml of evaporated milk
in the Slow Cooker
For 6-8 people
- 15 g of butter, olive oil or margarine
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 minced garlic cloves
- 2 medium carrots, sliced
- 500 g of boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1-1.5 liters of chicken broth or water
- 15 ml of fish sauce
- 3 g of ground black pepper
- 3 g of salt
- 400 g of raw macaroni or other short pasta
- 200 g of chopped cabbage
- 125 ml of milk
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Traditional Recipe on the Stove
Prepare the Chicken
Step 1. Boil the chicken stock
Pour it into a large pot and place it on the stove over medium-high heat until it reaches a boil.
Use this broth to make the soup tastier; if you don't have it, you can replace it with water. By cooking the chicken breast in water, some of the meat's aromas are transferred to the liquid, creating a light broth during preparation
Step 2. Boil the chicken
Put it in the boiling broth, close the pan and let it simmer for 20 minutes or until tender and completely cooked.
If you have lightly flavored chicken leftovers from another meal, you can skip this step and just slice or shred the meat; you will need the broth to cook the pasta
Step 3. Tear up the chicken
Remove it from the broth and let it cool down a bit; when it reaches a temperature that can be handled, use two forks to break the fibers and cut it into thick strips.
- Alternatively, you can cut it into cubes; you can choose the format you prefer, as it is a matter of personal taste.
- For the moment put the meat aside keeping it warm; protect it with aluminum foil without wrapping it too tightly.
Step 4. Remove the fat from the broth
If the meat has left any greasiness in the liquid, use a skimmer to remove the floating one and store the rest of the broth.
You will need the liquid to cook the vegetables and pasta, resulting in a tastier soup
Prepare the Base for the Soup
Step 1. Cook the macaroni
Put them in the pot of boiling broth and wait about 3 minutes.
The most used format is that of the pipe rigate, but you can use any type of short pasta; read the cooking times indicated on the package and respect them to avoid that the dish is raw or overcooked
Step 2. Add the carrots and celery
Transfer both chopped vegetables to the broth pot along with the pasta; boil everything for another 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the pasta is "al dente".
Rigate pipes should be soft but still firm; if you let them cook completely, you will get a soft and overcooked dish at the end of the preparation
Step 3. Meanwhile heat the oil
While the vegetables and pasta are cooking, pour the olive oil into a separate pan and place the pan on the stove over medium-high heat.
In theory, the pasta and the vegetables should be cooked at the same time as the aromatic sausage mixture, but this means starting the preparation of both at the same time; if one of the two compounds is ready before the other, remove the pan from the heat while waiting
Step 4. Sauté the garlic with the onion and sausage
Put all three ingredients in the very hot oil and stir frequently for 2-3 minutes.
The onion and garlic should give off a more intense aroma; wait for the first to become slightly translucent and for the second to turn golden, taking care that it does not burn
Step 5. Add the seasonings and chicken strips
Put the meat in the pan with the vegetables and the sausage, season with salt, pepper and fish sauce; mix everything to combine the ingredients and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes.
Complete the soup
Step 1. Combine the two preparations
Drain the excess fat that is in the pan with the chicken and transfer everything into the pot along with the pasta, vegetables and broth.
Stir to get a smooth soup and reduce the heat to medium (if necessary), so the mixture can simmer gently instead of boiling briskly
Step 2. Add the evaporated milk
Pour it into the rest of the soup while stirring and continue cooking for another two minutes or until all the ingredients are hot.
Step 3. Serve the soup very hot
Remove the pot from the heat and transfer the portions to individual bowls; enjoy the dish while it is still hot.
If you want to enrich the preparation with a little color and flavor, you can garnish it with a chopped spring onion
Method 2 of 2: in the Slow Cooker
Prepare the Aromatic Ingredients
Step 1. Melt the butter
Put it in a pan and place it on the stove over medium-high heat; wait for the fat to melt and spread throughout the pan.
Step 2. Brown the garlic and onion
Put these chopped vegetables in liquefied butter and sauté them for 2-3 minutes or until the garlic color becomes more intense and the onion begins to turn translucent.
Preparing these ingredients in advance allows you to release all the flavors that make the soup richer; However, if you are in a hurry, you can skip this part of the process and add raw garlic and onion to the slow cooker
Cook the Soup Base
Step 1. Place the hardest ingredients in the slow cooker
Put the carrots on the bottom followed by the chicken and finally the onion and garlic.
- If you wish, grease the base and sides of the appliance with seed oil or a specific non-stick coating before adding the ingredients; it is not an essential step, but it facilitates the final cleaning.
- When using frozen chicken, make sure it has thawed completely before cooking.
- Don't add the pasta and cabbage for now. These two products must be added towards the end of cooking; if you put them immediately in the slow cooker, they become soft and become soaked in liquid.
Step 2. Add the herbs and stock
Mix the chicken stock with fish sauce, pepper and salt in a separate bowl; then pour it all over the other ingredients that are already in the appliance.
- Use enough broth to submerge other foods with a 1.5cm layer of liquid.
- You don't have to use milk at this stage; just like cabbage and pasta, it needs to be incorporated towards the end of the process, otherwise it may curdle.
Step 3. Cook everything at minimum temperature for 6 hours
Close the slow cooker and let the soup base cook for 6-7 hours at minimum power or for 3-3.5 hours at maximum temperature.
In the meantime, do not mix the mixture and do not open the lid, because you would unnecessarily let the heat trapped in the appliance escape and extend the preparation time by up to half an hour
Complete the soup
Step 1. Break the chicken meat
After the first cooking phase, remove the meat from the slow cooker and place it on a cutting board; reduce it into thick strips using two forks.
Step 2. Return the chicken to the appliance and add the remaining ingredients
Incorporate the pasta, chopped cabbage and milk, mixing everything together to mix the soup.
Step 3. Continue cooking for another half hour
Close the slow cooker and continue cooking the soup for 30 minutes setting a minimum temperature if necessary.
Remember that the pasta should cook to the right point in half an hour. If you are using a quick cook macaroni format, it may be ready after 18-20 minutes; if you are cooking a wholemeal type instead, it may take 35-40 minutes
Step 4. Serve the soup very hot
Turn off the appliance and pour the portions into individual bowls with a ladle; enjoy it while it is still hot to fully enjoy its flavor and texture.
