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Pepperoni Soup Recipe

The recipe name sounds strange I know. Those outside my family look at me strange when I say we’re having pepperoni soup for dinner.  It was something that seemed like a special treat when I was growing up.  It’s something that my own family has grown to love and in fact Sabreena asked to have it for her birthday dinner last week.  Traditionally my grandmother used a Spanish sausage NOT pepperoni but I particularly like the pepper and spice that comes from it. My grandmother also called it pepperoni soup maybe because that was her translation.

Pepperoni Soup #Recipe, puerto rican comfort food

It’s very simple to make with very simple ingredients, most of which I have on hand. It can be made very quickly or left to gently simmer to develop more flavor. This is truly a one pot meal but prepared in steps.

Pepperoni Soup

Ingredients
  • 1lb of pepperoni or salchichon (traditional Spanish sausage)cut into bite size cubes. I usually ask my deli to cut me a 4″ slab of pepperoni then cut it down myself to size.
  • 2 bayleaves
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 cup chopped peppers
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1tsp pepper
  • 1tsp Adobo Seasoning
  • 1tsp dried oregano
  • 1 packet of Sazon
  • 12 cups of water
  • 1lb russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2″ chunks
  • 6oz spaghetti or rigatoni
Instructions

In a large pot over low heat brown and render off cut up pepperoni for 10-15 minutes.

Add chopped onion 7 pepper and cook till softened.

Mix in garlic and seasonings and cook for additional 5 minutes before adding water and potatoes.

Bring soup to mixture to slight simmer and cook until potatoes almost cooked.

Increase heat to bring soup to boil and add pasta.

Soup is ready to eat when pasta is cooked. Salt and pepper if needed.

Don’t forget to remove bay leaves.

Pepperoni Soup #Recipe, puerto rican comfort food Pepperoni Soup #Recipe, puerto rican comfort food

Pepperoni Soup #Recipe, puerto rican comfort food

sazon, what is sazon

this is Sazon

We use this in lots of of our meals. It adds a little something special to soups, sauces, meatloaf, roasts and rice.  When I mention Adobo seasoning i’m not talking about the peppers in adobo sauce I’m talking about this Adobo. It’s another magic ingredient that adds a special touch to everyday meals.

Goya Adobo Seasoning for meals




I learn my culture from Handy Manny

I realize that while I have an ethnicity I don’t have any culture. Making the occasional arroz con gandules and understanding Sesame Street when they introduce a new Puerto Rican character does not give me culture.

Growing up I spent a lot of time with my Spanish speaking grandmother and aunts.  I can still understand them quite well I realized this past summer but I can’t speak a lick to save my life.  I went to church whose congregation was all Puerto Rican, I had friends who were Puerto Rican, I even hung out in neighborhoods that were mainly Puerto Rican but not of this seemed to affect the life that would become.

You’ve seen pictures of the kids, Shaun is a white boy; light hair, light skin, light brown eyes; he doesn’t have a clue what I mean when I say “You’re Puerto Rican”.  He asks me all the time how I know certain words when Shae is watching Dora and Handy Manny.  The other day on an episode of Handy Manny they were discussing New Years traditions and I realized we don’t have any that represent any culture or heritage.   As a child I remember going outside and clanging pots and pans together, blowing horns and singing, the whole neighborhood could be found doing this, white, black, old and young. Come to find out that this is a Puerto Rican tradition to ward of evil spirits.  On Handy Manny it was said that eating 12 grapes brings prosperity, that’s a Puerto Rican tradition also, and get this, Handy Manny is Mexican.

How do you celebrate your heritage? Do you commemorate your race or ethnicity during holidays or special occasions?