'Caldo verde' is the most traditional soup in Portugal. Is made with a type of cabbage that grows pretty much everywhere in Portugal, is called 'couve galega' or' couve portuguesa'. In the UK the closest I found to it is dark leafy fresh greens. The other secret is the chorizo, which is very easy to… Continue reading Caldo verde (Green broth)
Category: Portuguese Sides/ Snacks/ Soups
No chick soup
Chicken soup is famous a little bit all around the world and Portugal is no different, where is called 'canja de galinha'. Do vegans have to miss out and forget about chicken soup? No way! This is very easy to 'veganise', more so with so many vegan versions of 'chicken', available pretty much everywhere. Do… Continue reading No chick soup
Woodpecker
'Pica Pau' (woodpecker in English) is a traditional snack in Portugal, with its origin in the central part of the country. Why the funny name for this dish? I don't know, couldn't find an explanation! The traditional is made with meat (usually beef) but fortunately we live in an era where we have soya chunks,… Continue reading Woodpecker
No Chorizo bread
'Pão com chouriço' is very popular in Portugal all year around, but particularly during Summer village parties, 'fresh' from the oven. I've got to say, it is so tasty. Nowadays is so easy to find vegan chorizo or chorizo flavoured vegan sausages that is really simple to 'veganise' this delicious snack - try it! Time:… Continue reading No Chorizo bread
Tomato rice
Tomato rice is quite popular in Portugal, as a side with some kind of fried fish, for example (poor creatures). Did you know that a single portion of this type of rice has already 3 to 4g of protein? Not to mention the added benefits of good carbs, vitamins and minerals. I have it on… Continue reading Tomato rice
No chick patties
A chicken patty and a soup was my lunch many times, many years ago when I was working in Portugal, before moving to England. 'Empadas' can be found in many cafes and snack-bars in Portugal and there's a variety of flavours, but the most famous one is chicken. I used a meat substitute in my… Continue reading No chick patties
Shiitake ‘gizzard’
Gizzard, in Portuguese 'moelas'. Where to start? They are part of bird's digestive system, where food is processed, just before coming out on the other end, if I make myself clear. In Portugal is cooked with wine and tomato to make a snack, and is also used in other dishes. I adapted the famous 'moelas'… Continue reading Shiitake ‘gizzard’
Vegan Portuguese style ‘black pudding’ balls
In Portugal we have a snack that is black pudding's cousin, called 'morcela'. Is also made of pig's guts, flesh chunks and blood (my heart skipped a beat here). The worst of it all is that I liked it! I used to eat these horrible things. Well, the good news is that I liked it… Continue reading Vegan Portuguese style ‘black pudding’ balls
‘sheese’ and’vham’ pastries
These pastries took me right back to my high school years. We would have one of this for lunch on those cheeky days when we didn't feel like going to the canteen and have yesterday's rice with no-flavour something else (sorry, I know, some canteens are not that bad!). In Portuguese is called 'lanche misto'… Continue reading ‘sheese’ and’vham’ pastries
Portuguese croquettes
To me, this is comfort food and a genuine guilty pleasure! Little deep fried cylindrical pieces of food, full of flavours. Don't be fooled by the name, these are not uninteresting potato croquettes! My mum has made croquettes all her life, and still does. I challenged her for us to create together a vegan version… Continue reading Portuguese croquettes
Plant Based Portuguese 