This Sopa de Salchichon (Salami Soup) Recipe will quickly become a family favorite! It’s highly flavorful, comforting and quickly comes together in under an hour! Making it perfect for a weeknight meal.
Salami Soup is one of the most frequently prepared soups in a Puerto Rican home.
Its delicious, tasty and comforting.
Just like our Sopa de Lentejas (Lentil Soup), it’s quickly prepared and can feed an army. A little goes a long way here!
Gather a few simple ingredients, toss in a large pot or “caldero” and have yourself a savory delicious meal in 40 minutes.
Although we never need a reason to make it, it’s especially perfect on a rainy day.
Serve this Puerto Rican Salami Soup on its own or with a side of Arroz Blanco (Puerto Rican White Rice). Maybe a sliver of avocado as a bonus!
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Reasons to Love this Soup
- Delicious – this soup is delicious the day you make it and even better the next day.
- Simple to Cook – most days we all prefer to cook easy meals that not only can feed everyone but also doesn’t take a whole lot of time to prepare. This soup fits the bill!
- One Pot Meal – although we normally serve this soup with a side of white rice, you can definitely serve it all on its own.
- Freezes Well – If you have leftovers, consider freezing this soup and serve another day! Especially perfect when you’re short on time or for meal prepping.
What is Salchichón?
Salchichón is a type of summer pork sausage that doesn’t have to be cooked in order to be consumed as it’s already smoked and dried. It’s very similar to hard salami.
It’s not only delicious in this recipe but excellent as an appetizer. Simply cube some pieces of the salami, guayaba (guava) and white or yellow cheese, place on a toothpick and done!
Also great on a charcuterie board.
Ingredients
- Salchichón – if you cannot find salchichón in your local supermarket, use any hard smoked salami. I used a salami that was made in Denmark.
- Potatoes – adds heartiness to the soup and soaks all the flavors.
- Sofrito – a classic in Puerto Rican dishes.
- Pasta – normally we use spaghetti, thin spaghetti, or fideos for this soup, however, in a pinch, use whatever you have available. Medium shell pasta is great too!
- Garlic – adds and enhances the flavor of any soup.
- Tomato Sauce – one of the base ingredients to this dish and as such a must.
- Sazon con Azafran – can also use sazon con achiote. Both add Latin flavor and adds the vibrant distinctive color to this dish.
- Onions and Tomatoes – adds flavor and pleasant texture.
- Cilantro – a delicious fresh herb found in many Puerto Rican soups.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
How to Make Sopa de Salchichon (Salami Soup)
- Using a sharp knife, carefully score the sausage casing lengthwise and peel to remove.
- Slice the sausage into ¼ inch slices and then each slice in half or into quarters.
- Add oil to a large pot over medium heat followed by the salchichon (sausage).
- Cook until slightly golden.
- Add the onions and peppers, stir and cook until onions are translucent.
- Add the garlic, stir and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes and stir. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the sofrito, sazon, ham bouillon and salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the tomato sauce and stir.
- Add the olives and stir.
- Add the water and stir.
- Add the corn and potatoes. Semi cover pot with a lid and cook for 30 minutes.
- Add the pasta, stir and cook for 10-12 minutes.
Note: If using spaghetti, break it into 3 pieces.
- Top the soup with the fresh cilantro and stir.
- Taste the soup for salt. Add more if needed.
What to Serve this Soup with?
This soup is traditionally served with a side of arroz blanco (white rice) but is delicious all on its own.
A side of Garlic Tostones (fried green plantains) and avocado slivers goes excellently too!Substitutions and Variations
Can I Add other Meats to this Soup?
- Another common meat added to this soup is ham. Ham steak is cut into ½ – 1 inch cubes and sauteed at the beginning with the salchichon. This soup is known as Sopa de Jamon y Salchichon (Ham and Salami Soup).
What if I don’t Like Cilantro?
- You can substitute fresh flat-leaf parsley, the soup will still be delicious! However, please note that cilantro brings a unique flavor to the dish. It is an herb synonymous with Latin cooking that no other herb can offer to a dish.
What Else Can I Add to the Soup?
- For even more texture and flavor, add quartered pieces of cabbage, napa cabbage or chopped carrots.
Tips
- If you do not have sofrito in your fridge, no worries, the peppers, onions and cilantro used in this recipe adds enough flavor.
- Although this soup traditionally uses spaghetti or fideos, you can use whatever pasta you have available. The second best option is medium-sized shells.
- This recipe calls for a ¼ cup of pasta. This may seem like a small amount, but it actually is the perfect amount for the amount of soup we’re making. You may be tempted to add more, but adding too much pasta will soak most of the broth and leave you with a pot of mushy pasta.
Storing and Reheating
- To store– wait for the soup to cool and then place it in the refrigerator in the same pot it was cooked in or transfer it to another container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To reheat all the soup– if stored in the pot and you plan on having the rest of the leftovers, simply place it on the stove over medium heat. Heat the soup until fully heated through, about ten minutes.
- Just having a bowl of soup– If you plan on just having a bowl of soup, reheat in a microwave for a few minutes until heated through or transfer to a saucepan and reheat for 2-4 minutes over medium heat.
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📖 Recipe
Sopa de Salchichon (Salami Soup)
Equipment
- large pot
Ingredients
- 1 7 ounce package of salchichon casing peeled off
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small onion rinsed and chopped
- 1 red or orange bell pepper rinsed and chopped
- 3 roma tomatoes rinsed and quartered
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro rinsed and roughly chopped
- 1 4 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 packet Sazon with Annatto or Sazon with Azafran found in the Latin or International aisle of supermarket
- 1 packet ham bouillon
- 2 ears of corn dehusked, rinsed and cut into 2 inch pieces
- ¼ pound spaghetti, thin spaghetti, or fideos
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¼ cup sofrito
- salt and pepper to taste
- 10 cups water
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, carefully score the sausage casing lengthwise and peel to remove.
- Slice the sausage into ¼ inch slices and then each slice in half or into quarters.
- Add oil to a large pot over medium heat followed by the salchichon (sausage). Cook until slightly golden.
- Add the onions and peppers, stir and cook until onions are translucent.
- Add the garlic, stir and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes and stir. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the sofrito, sazon, ham bouillon and salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the tomato sauce and stir.
- Add the olives and stir.
- Add the water and stir.
- Add the corn and potatoes. Semi-cover the pot with a lid and cook for 30 minutes.
- Add the pasta, stir and cook for 10-12 minutes.Note: If using spaghetti, break it into 3 pieces.
- Top the soup with the fresh cilantro and stir.
- Taste the soup for salt. Add more if needed. The soup is done! Enjoy!
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