Sopa da pedra: Portuguese stone soup
Almeirim, Ribatejo, Portugal
The stone soup of the Ribatejo — a hearty bean and sausage soup whose name comes from the Portuguese folk tale of a hungry friar who convinced villagers to contribute ingredients to his 'stone soup' one by one. The practical dish is a thick soup of red kidney beans, chouriço, farinheira (flour sausage), presunto, onion, potato, and herbs — a poor man's meal elevated by the full complement of local pork products.
Sopa da pedra from Almeirim (Ribatejo) has been given Gastronomic Heritage status in Portugal — the town has a festival in its honour and the recipe is formally documented.