Although it translates as stone soup, this hearty Portuguese dish is actually a combination of beans and sausages such as chouriço and morcela (blood sausage), as well as pork belly, pig’s ear, and potatoes, while different regional varieties may also include pasta, carrots, and cabbage.

There's a legend saying that a monk in need wanted to prepare soup by using merely stones and water. When he asked for additional ingredients to supposedly flavor the soup, the family who'd hosted him was more than willing to provide some pork cuts, beans, sausages, and vegetables, and the monk ended with a rich and nutritious dish without any stones inside. 

This hearty bread soup is a Portuguese classic that combines thick, crusty slices of rustic bread and a flavorful broth that is infused with garlic, olive oil, and generous amounts of fresh cilantro or mint. Although it occasionally employs meat or sausages, in its basic form the soup is traditionally served topped with a poached egg.

Also popular is the seafood version of the dish, which typically employs cod fish and goes under the name of açorda de bacalhau à Alentejana. Like other varieties of açorda, Alentejana was invented as a frugal meal that soon developed into a true Portuguese classic.

Caldo verde is a popular soup from Portugal, consumed by most Portuguese families at home, but it is also served in some upscale restaurants. It is usually made with a combination of potatoes, collard greens, olive oil, and a dash of salt, although there are some regional variations.

Traditionally, caldo verde is served with boiled and sliced chorizo sausage, although other types of meat can be used instead of it. In the north of Portugal, people sometimes use kale instead of collard greens. The dish originated in a former province called Minho, between 1936 and 1976. 

This seafood version of the popular and versatile Portuguese açorda is often described as a dry bread soup. It combines generously seasoned bread mash, usually infused with olive oil, sautéed onions, and cilantro, with various shellfish such as shrimps, cockles, or clams.

Eggs are added last and are vigorously mixed with the bread base, allowing them to cook and provide the desired thickness. Açorda de marisco is traditionally decorated with shelled shrimp and cilantro and is recommended to be enjoyed warm and freshly prepared.

At first glance, it might seem like a regular tomato soup, but sopa de tomate Alentejana is made with a few unique, unlikely ingredients making for an extremely flavorful and rich soup. Apart from tomatoes, garlic, and onions, this dish features eggs, with optional potatoes and green pepper.

Just before the soup is ready to be served, a few eggs are cracked into the pot until they become fluffy and poached. Sometimes, the eggs might get stirred, creating cooked egg strings in the process. It is recommended to serve this unique tomato soup with a few slices of crusty artisan bread on the side.

The Portuguese açorda is a popular bread soup appearing in numerous varieties throughout the country. Most açorda soups have a smooth and thick consistency and employ a variety of pounded herbs, garlic, olive oil, and boiling water that is poured over diced bread and left to soften.

Two of the most famous types include the seafood-based açorda de marisco and açorda Alentejana, a regional specialty in which whole slices of bread are served over the broth. Even though it originated as a poor man’s dish, today these comforting soups represent an integral part of Portuguese national cuisine.

Like in numerous other countries in the world, the creamy and nourishing tomato soup is also found in traditional Portuguese cuisine, where it is known as sopa de tomate. The soup consists of tomatoes, onions, and garlic. The ingredients are slowly sautéed in olive oil, braised in water, and occasionally puréed and thickened with flour.

The Portuguese usually serve it with poached eggs, toasted croutons, or crusty buttered bread.

Canja de galinha is a comforting Portuguese chicken soup with many regional varieties. It consists of a hearty chicken broth that is enriched with sautéed onions, rice, or orzo pasta, and occasionally diced root vegetables such as celery and carrots.

Depending on the region and tradition, the soup is sometimes thickened with beaten egg yolks and seasoned with lemon juice, chopped parsley, or mint leaves. Simple and easy to prepare, canja de galinha is commonly eaten throughout the year, but it is also a staple dish served on many special occasions such as weddings and holiday feasts. 

This traditional Portuguese bread soup combines cod, rustic bread, and a flavorful broth that is generously seasoned with garlic, olive oil, and fresh herbs. The whole soup is usually topped with a poached egg, and the cod is either left whole or mashed with bread to achieve a thick and creamy consistency.

Always served hot, açorda de bacalhau is usually enjoyed as a filling main course.