Another vegetarian food from Portugal is Caldo Verde, which is a simple green soup originating from the Minho province in northern Portugal. Caldo Verde is often made from collard greens, or similar leafy veg, plus onion, garlic and potato for thickness.
Caldo Verde is often eaten at festivals and on special occasions. I tried this at the traditional Café Guarany in Porto. It was perfect for a light lunch, which felt good after several potato & cod dinners during my time in Portugal!
UPDATE: someone in the comments says this dish is actually often served with chouriço, so may not be vegetarian!
The final Portuguese food I want to mention is a bit of an acquired taste. This is a speciality sandwich from Porto, and also somewhat of an eating challenge. If you’re on a heart-friendly diet, you might want to think twice before attempting it!
The legendary Francesinha sandwich is a double-decker sandwich containing steak, Linguiça sausage (which seemed a bit like chorizo to me) and ham, topped with a fried egg and covered in melted cheese. It is served in a pool of spicy gravy and normally served with chips. It is a lot of food!
I tried a Francesinha at a no-frills, cash-only café in Porto, called Piolho Café and I’m ashamed to say I wasted a lot of it! I should have known I was about to be served a monster of a meal when the waiter raised his eyebrows when I asked for it. And when I couldn’t finish it and he cleared my plates, the ‘I knew it’ look on his face made me feel like a child whose eyes are too big for their tummy!
So if you’re want to try a Francesinha, and you’re not sure you can manage the whole thing, maybe split it with someone or ask for it without chips.
Another vegetarian food from Portugal is Caldo Verde, which is a simple green soup originating from the Minho province in northern Portugal. Caldo Verde is often made from collard greens, or similar leafy veg, plus onion, garlic and potato for thickness.
Caldo Verde is often eaten at festivals and on special occasions. I tried this at the traditional Café Guarany in Porto. It was perfect for a light lunch, which felt good after several potato & cod dinners during my time in Portugal!
UPDATE: someone in the comments says this dish is actually often served with chouriço, so may not be vegetarian!
The final Portuguese food I want to mention is a bit of an acquired taste. This is a speciality sandwich from Porto, and also somewhat of an eating challenge. If you’re on a heart-friendly diet, you might want to think twice before attempting it!
The legendary Francesinha sandwich is a double-decker sandwich containing steak, Linguiça sausage (which seemed a bit like chorizo to me) and ham, topped with a fried egg and covered in melted cheese. It is served in a pool of spicy gravy and normally served with chips. It is a lot of food!
I tried a Francesinha at a no-frills, cash-only café in Porto, called Piolho Café and I’m ashamed to say I wasted a lot of it! I should have known I was about to be served a monster of a meal when the waiter raised his eyebrows when I asked for it. And when I couldn’t finish it and he cleared my plates, the ‘I knew it’ look on his face made me feel like a child whose eyes are too big for their tummy!
So if you’re want to try a Francesinha, and you’re not sure you can manage the whole thing, maybe split it with someone or ask for it without chips.
