Sopa Boba (Vegetable Soup)

Sopa Boba (Dominican Vegetable Soup) is an easy recipe for a lighter, meatless alternative to other soups in our blog

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Sopa Boba is one of the stars of Dominican cuisine, a simple, light vegetable soups that more often than not we use when in need of comfort or nourishing sustenance. It's also a dish with a curious name.

Why "boba?

In Spanish the word boba(o) can be used to describe someone who "simple", or of limited intellectual capacity.

The Spanish "sopa boba" was a soup made with the leftovers food from convents around the thirteenth century, and given to the poor and destitute as a charity. The ingredients were of dubious provenance, and the flavor lacking. It was a dish made strictly for sustenance and survival.

Dominican sopa boba

The name may be taken from that old Spanish soup, but our sopa boba has little in common with that unglamorous concoction. What makes ours "boba" is the lack of meat in it, but there is a wealth of flavor and vegetables, some of which were not available to Spaniards in those days (yuca [cassava], for example).

It is most commonly associated with times in which we needed recovery, and given credit for being of easy digestion. It can also be served as a light dinner, or at least that's how we did in my extended family.

About this recipe

The common element in any sopa boba served in the Dominican Republic will be the lack of any meat. It's one of our quintessential vegan recipes. Adding any meat to it will make it into an altogether different dish. It also always have noodles (angel's hair).

Having said that, each home, and each cook will have their preferred vegetables, usually yuca, auyama and potatoes. Others will depend on availability and preference.

Do you add anything to your sopa boba that ours doesn't have? Share it in the comments.

Buen provecho!

Sopa Boba Recipe (Vegetable Soup)

Sopa Boba is a meat-free traditional Dominican vegetable soup, and a lighter, easier, alternative to other soups in our blog

Servings: 6 servings

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Caribbean, Dominican

Keyword: dominican vegan soup, meatless soup, vegetable soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Calories: 144kcal

Recipe Author: Clara Gonzalez

Ingredients

• 1 qt of vegetable broth [1 liter]
• 1 tablespoon of fruit vinegar
• 1 cup of potatoes cut into small cubes
• 2 sprigs of thyme (optional)
• 7 allspice berries (optional)
• 1 cup of yuca (cassava) cut into small cubes
• 1 celery stalk , sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic , sliced
• 1 cup of auyama (West Indies pumpkin) cut into small cubes
• 1 cup angel hair noodles
• 1 sprig of cilantro , chopped
• ¼ teaspoon of pepper
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Instructions

• Boiling vegetables: Mix in a pot vegetable broth, 1 qt of water [1 liter], vinegar, potatoes, thyme, allspice berries, yuca, celery, garlic, and auyama.

  Bring to a boil over medium heat until it breaks a boil.
  
• Cooking noodles: Add the noodles and stir.

  Cook covered over medium heat until all the ingredients are cooked throughout. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking.
  
• Seasoning: Add cilantro and season with pepper and salt to taste. Discard allspice berries.
  
• Serving: Serve hot alongside toasted rustic bread or pan de agua.
  

Video

Tips and Notes

Typically we use pineapple vinegar in the DR (it's cheaper, I guess), but apple cider vinegar is fine too.

You may substitute cilantro for parsley if you prefer.

Nutrition

Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1034mg | Potassium: 365mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2845IU | Vitamin C: 16.5mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1.5mg