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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 (orbeef/pork),butter,garlic,onion |
| Similar dishes | chicken noodle soup,sopa de fideo,suam na mais,lugaw,arroz caldo,chicken macaroni salad |
Sopas is aFilipinomacaroni soup made withelbow macaroni, various vegetables, and meat (usuallychicken), in a creamy broth withevaporated milk. Sometimes,spaghetti is used instead of elbow macaroni as an alternative. This variant of sopas is calledspapas. It is regarded as acomfort food in thePhilippines and is typically eaten for breakfast or during cold weather, or served to sick people.[1][2][3]
The dish is the Filipino version of theAmericanchicken noodle soup, introduced during theAmerican colonial period of thePhilippines. The name simply means "soup" inTagalog, fromSpanishsopa ("soup").[4]
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 orprocessed meat likecorned beef.[5] It is usually removed once tender and shredded with the bones discarded, but some recipes skip this part. Thestock is saved for later.[6]Garlic andonions are thensautéed inbutter 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 arecarrots andcelery.[8] Roughly choppedcabbage, another common ingredient, is added just before the dish is completely cooked.[2] Some variants may also use finely dicedpotatoes,green peas,green beans, orkinchay (Chinese celery).[9][10] It is also common to exclude vegetables altogether.[4]
Theelbow macaroni is added last, along with finely dicedhot dogs,Vienna sausages, orham.[2][11] The macaroni is cooked untilal dente. It is spiced with salt andblack pepper to taste. Once cooked, it is removed from the fire andevaporated milk is added. It is served hot or warm, and usually garnished with choppedscallions.[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-boughtbouillon cubes rather than prepare the stock.[12][13]
A distinct cheap version of the dish is corned beef sopas, which usescorned beef in place of chicken. Its preparation is identical to classic versions, although it does not need to be boiled beforehand.[14]
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