Catalonian Shell Pasta & Meatball Soup Recipe
This famous soup is Catalonia’s main Christmas dish, dating back over 600 years. If you're in Barcelona on December 25th, odds are you'll be enjoying a bowl! Traditionally, this hearty soup features a large meatball, known as the 'pilota,' vegetables and other kinds of meat like chicken, butifarra, morcilla and beef – this version is for smaller meatballs and optional stuffed pasta shells. Nearly everyone in Barcelona eats this satisfying soup on Christmas day. The soup is known to have been around for a very long time; the 14th-century medieval Catalan writer Francesc Eiximenis wrote that Catalans ate it on a daily basis. The galets pasta can also be stuffed with a meatball mixture to make stuffed shells, or served with a light cream sauce and sautéed vegetables. This soup is also known as Escudella de Nadal or Sopa de Galets.
- Time: 215 min
- Servings: 8
Source: tienda.com
Ingredients
- bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
- beef ribs or pork chops
- lamb shank
- [bacon] slices, cut in half
- meaty ham bone, or smoked ham hock
- chickpeas, soaked overnight
- links [white butifarra sausage]
- links [morcilla with onions]
- carrots peeled
- large waxy potatoes, peeled & cut in quarters
- small cabbage, cut into large pieces
- parsnips
- leeks
- celery stalks with leaves
- medium shell shaped pasta
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- FOR THE MEATBALLS
- Sea salt and pepper, as needed
- ground beef
- ground pork
- egg, beaten
- garlic, minced
- parsley, chopped
- milk
- fresh breadcrumbs
- [olive oil]