Being a country with a wide rural population and ready availability of vegetables the soups are usually made from seasonal local grown produce. Exceptions to these are staple soups that can be made at any time and are cheaply made by normally using leftovers. The soups often are a cheap replacement for a full meal and therefore they can be heavy in consistency and very tasty. Do not be too surprised to see a Portuguese ordering a soup to finish his meal as there is still this habit to ensure that he is fully satisfied within!

Açorda de Pão
Consists of vegetable, meat or fish stock, eggs and stale bread, coriander, garlic and seasoning.