Sopa Perota is a dish that originated in Álora. The inhabitants of this white village in Andalusia’s Málaga province, also called ‘perotes’, had a simple existence as farmers or land workers. Sopa Perota was made with ingredients that were easily available in the daily lives of the inhabitants of Álora.

It is not known exactly when the Sopa Perota originated. But in any case, the recipe was made as early as the 19th century. Farmers and land workers would have taken the ingredients to the fields and prepared the nutritious soup there during their breaks.

This traditional Andalusian soup consists of bread, tomato, onion, paprika, garlic, potato, mint, saffron, and paprika. Ingredients that were nutritious for the hard farm workers.

Every first Saturday of October (5 October 2024), visitors in Álora can get to know Sopa Perota during the gastronomic festival. The festival is not just about food, it is a cultural event that showcases the traditions of Álora. Besides tasting traditional Andalusian soup and other local products, the festival offers guided tours of the village, children’s workshops, and a market with artisan products. There are also performances of traditional Andalusian music including the Verdiales (you can read more about them in this blog).

In Plaza Baja de la Despedía, restaurant Hacienda Los Conejitos is handing out more than 7,000 free servings of Sopa Perotas.  You can also see how they prepare it. If you don’t want to queue, you can also stop by one of the various local associations for a bite of Sopa Perota or any other local dish or drink. This might be even more fun to be completely immersed in Spanish life.

El Día de Sopa Perota is a super fun festival for anyone interested in Andalusian culture and gastronomy. This is truly a local event not set up for tourists.

If you want to know what the Sopa Perota tastes like. See the recipe below.

500 grams of white bread in pieces

500 grams tomatoes, peeled and chopped

130 grams pepper in pieces

130 grams onion, finely chopped

125 grams asparagus in pieces

300 grams potatoes, peeled and sliced

2 cloves of garlic crushed or diced

250 ml olive oil

1 litre of water

Salt to taste

Mint

Saffron

Paprika powder

Olives

Oranges

Cucumber

figs

1. Put a few generous squirts of olive oil in a frying pan and fry the potato slices (possibly garlic) with a little salt.

2. As soon as the potatoes are fried, remove them from the pan and set them aside.

3. In the remaining oil, add the onion, pepper and asparagus. Fry until they are soft.

4. Now add the chopped tomatoes and fry for a few minutes. (Add paprika powder and saffron after taste).

5. When the sauce is ready, check that it has enough salt.

6. Now add the potato slices.

7. Then add the water and bring to the boil.

8. Remove the pan from the heat.

9. Cover the bottom of an earthenware dish or on separate plates with pieces of white bread.

10. Pour the soup over the bread. Do not mix it, but let the bread absorb the soup. The bread should be completely wet, without excess broth.

11. Let the Sopa Perota stand for a few minutes before serving the soup.

For the fancier version:

Add some mint leaves just before serving

12. You can serve the soup with pieces of orange, olives, cucumber or figs.

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