Recipe Manuscript

Sopa De Rabioles

Name: Sopa De Rabioles
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT4M
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 250 grams plain wheat flour (plus 60 grams for dusting); 1 large egg; 15 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled (plus extra 10 grams for filling); 1 gram salt, plus more for seasoning and blanching greens; 50-70 ml water; 200 grams Swiss chard leaves (substitute with spinach if unavailable); 20 grams hard aged cheese (such as Parmesan or Cotija), grated; 1-2 grams ground black pepper

"Ravioli Soup"

1900

From the treasured pages of Mexican Cooking Manuscripts: A Family Collection

Unknown Author

Age of Gastronomy (1800 - 1900)American Intermediate Lunch Dinner

Original Recipe • 1900

Original Manuscript(circa Age of Gastronomy, 1800 - 1900)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Sopa De Rabioles

"De una harina flor se quitarán dos onzas, y la demás se pondrá en una mesa. Se hace un hueco con ella, en el centro, y en él se echará lo que coja una cucharada (de plata) de manteca derretida y fría, un huevo, una poca de sal, y agua la que se valla necesitando. Todo esto se amasará bien; y antes de extenderla, se espolvorea en la mesa una poca de harina apartada; en ella se pondrá la masa y se comenzará a estender con el palote, y se le irá echando harina si la necesitare, hasta que la masa esté muy delgada, de poco más de algo mas que del grueso de los tallarines; se irán haciendo en la forma siguiente: Se cocerán en agua con sal unas acelgas (que sea solo lo verde), y ya cocidas se picarán y exprimirán a que no les quede agua, y se sazonarán con sal, pimienta en polvo, queso seco rayado, y una poca de mantequilla, todo esto al gusto, y asi que esto se irá poniendo bolitas chicas, como una uva sobre la masa ya extendida y a distancia como dos dedos por uno y otro lado; se cubrirán con otro tanto de la masa extendida; se le pasa por encima entre una y otra bolita la mano para que se le dé la forma para asentada, y con los dedos para que unan las dos masas, y con una carretilla se cortaran como se quiera, triangulares, cuadradas o en figura de empanada. Y asi que la hubiere se cortaran con dicho instrumento y asi se pondrán en una tabla o batea para que se oreen; con la masa que queda se vuelve otra vez hacer lo mismo."

English Translation

"Take some fine flour and remove two ounces; place the rest on a table. Make a well in the center and put in a tablespoon (silver) of melted and cooled butter, one egg, a pinch of salt, and as much water as needed. Knead all this well; before rolling out, sprinkle some of the reserved flour on the table, place the dough on it, and begin to roll it out with the rolling pin, adding more flour if necessary, until the dough is very thin, just a bit thicker than noodles. Proceed as follows: Boil some chard leaves (only the green part) in salted water, then chop and squeeze them well so there is no water left. Season with salt, ground pepper, grated hard cheese, and a little butter, all to taste. Then, place small balls of this mixture, the size of a grape, onto the rolled-out dough, spaced about two finger-widths apart each way. Cover with another sheet of rolled-out dough; pass your hand gently between each mound to shape and settle the filling, then press with your fingers to seal the edges of the two layers of dough. Using a pastry cutter, cut them as you like: triangular, square, or like turnovers. As they are cut, place them on a board or tray to dry out slightly; repeat the process with the leftover dough."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is typical of manuscript cookbooks from the late 19th and early 20th centuries: instructions assume a level of familiarity with kitchen practices, omitting precise quantities for 'water as needed' and using relative measures like 'what fits in a silver spoon.' Spelling and phrasing follow early 20th-century Mexican Spanish conventions—for example, 'manteca' referred here to butter (not lard), and grammatical choices occasionally do not match modern standards (e.g., 'valla' instead of 'vaya'). The recipe directs the cook through each action in a flowing narrative style, expecting some improvisation and judgment based on experience.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Mexican Cooking Manuscripts: A Family Collection - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Mexican Cooking Manuscripts: A Family Collection (1900)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Unknown

Era

1900

Publisher

Unknown

Background

Gracefully penned in elegant calligraphy, this volume brings together four cherished family manuscripts from Toluca, Mexico, offering a sumptuous selection of traditional recipes. Delight in the culinary heritage of Mole Poblano, Tapado de nopales, and more, all served with a generous dash of ancestral flavor and timeless technique.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe, 'Sopa de Rabioles,' originates from early 20th-century manuscript cookbooks belonging to a family in Toluca, Mexico. These handwritten collections, dated circa 1905, were a way of preserving traditional knowledge and family culinary heritage. The manuscript reflects a time when Mexican households creatively incorporated European techniques—like filled pasta—into local cuisine, adapting Italian ravioli to regional ingredients such as Swiss chard and aged Mexican cheese. Family cookbooks like these stood at the intersection of colonial legacies, local produce, and evolving tastes, often serving as communal knowledge for generations of home cooks.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

The original recipe would have relied on a broad, sturdy kitchen table for kneading and rolling the dough. A rolling pin—referred to as a 'palote'—was essential for achieving thin, even sheets of pasta. Simple knives or a 'carretilla' (a sort of pastry wheel) were used to cut the filled dough into shapes. Large pots were used to blanch the greens and later to cook the finished ravioli. Everything was done by hand, with no mechanical aids.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

4 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

9 ounces plain wheat flour (plus 2 ounces for dusting)
1 large egg
1/2 ounce unsalted butter, melted and cooled (plus extra 1/3 ounce for filling)
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning and blanching greens
3 1/2 to 4 1/2 tablespoons water
7 ounces Swiss chard leaves (substitute with spinach if unavailable)
3/4 ounce hard aged cheese (such as Parmesan or Cotija), grated
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Begin by measuring out 9 ounces of fine wheat flour (reserve about 2 ounces for dusting).
On a clean table, form a mound with the flour and create a well in the center.
Into the well, add 1 tablespoon (about 1/2 ounce) of melted and cooled unsalted butter, 1 large egg, a generous pinch of salt (about 1/4 teaspoon), and just enough water (around 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 tablespoons, adding slowly) to form a soft, yet workable dough.
Knead well for several minutes until smooth.
Before rolling out, sprinkle some of the reserved flour onto your work surface.
Roll the dough out as thinly as possible—strive for about 1/16 to 1/12 inch thickness, just a tick thicker than commercial tagliatelle.
For the filling, blanch 7 ounces of Swiss chard leaves (just the green part) in salted boiling water.
Once tender, drain, squeeze very well to remove all moisture, then finely chop.
Season the greens with salt, a pinch of ground black pepper, 3/4 ounce (about 3 tablespoons) of finely grated hard cheese (like Parmesan or aged Cotija), and 1/3 ounce (about 2 teaspoons) of softened butter—adjust quantities to taste.
Place teaspoon-sized mounds of filling, spaced about 1 1/4 inches apart, over half of the rolled out dough.
Cover with another sheet of dough, gently pressing around each mound to seal.
Cut the ravioli into triangles, squares, or half-moon shapes as preferred, using a pastry cutter or knife.
Set shaped ravioli aside on a floured board to dry slightly while you prepare the rest of the dough and filling.

Estimated Calories

275 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 30 minutes to prepare the dough, filling, and assemble the ravioli. Cooking (boiling the ravioli) takes about 4 minutes. Each serving has about 275 calories, and this recipe makes 4 servings.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.