Sopa De Apio
"Celery Soup"
From the treasured pages of La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 8
Written by Antonio Vanegas Arroyo
Sopa De Apio
"Se tuestan las rebanadas de pan de un día para otro, al siguiente se pone entre cada dos tostadas, apio y perejil picado y revueltos; se acomodan en una cazuela tortera ó platón hondo, y se espolvorean con poca pimienta, nuez moscada, clavo y canela y se les echa encima el caldo sazonado con sal, se pone la sopa á dos fuegos y luego que está consumido el caldo, de modo que no quede muy espeso, se aparta y se adorna con perejil y apio picado menudo y huevos fritos ó duros."
English Translation
"Slices of day-old bread are toasted, then the next day, celery and chopped parsley are mixed together and placed between every two toasts; they are arranged in a casserole or deep dish, and sprinkled with a little pepper, nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon. Seasoned broth with salt is poured on top, and the soup is cooked over two burners until the broth has reduced, but not so much that it becomes too thick. Remove from the heat and garnish with finely chopped parsley and celery, and with fried or hard-boiled eggs."
Note on the Original Text
The language of the original recipe is succinct and direct, relying on the cook's experience to interpret quantities, exact technique, and timing. Ingredients are described generically ('apio,' 'perejil,' 'pimienta'), and instruction flows in a single, continuous sentence—a reflection of 19th-century recipe writing, which often assumed prior knowledge of culinary basics. Spelling like 'á' for 'a' or specific accent marks echo orthographic conventions of the period. Recipes favored practical clarity over literary formality, designed for cooks who wanted to get straight to the stove.
Title
La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 8 (1890)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Antonio Vanegas Arroyo
Era
1890
Publisher
Unknown
Background
A delightful pocket-sized treasure from the 'Cocina en el bolsillo' series, this volume stirs up a medley of flavorful recipes for adventurous cooks eager to savor the tastes of yesteryear.
Kindly made available by
University of Texas at San Antonio
This recipe comes from 'La Cocina en el Bolsillo No. 8,' printed in 1890 by the celebrated Mexican publisher Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, whose presses filled the streets of Mexico City with popular cookbooks, song sheets, and satirical pamphlets. The series, aimed at home cooks, brought affordable, approachable recipes to households hungry for both tradition and novelty. 'Sopa de apio' is emblematic of late 19th-century Mexican urban cuisine, reflecting European-influenced techniques like bread-based soups, spiced with the global aromas of the spice trade. This dish would have graced the tables of middle-class families, offering both thrift and flavor by reviving stale bread and incorporating accessible vegetables.
In the 1890s, cooks would have toasted bread over a comal (flat griddle) or directly over an open flame, chopped herbs with a well-sharpened knife, and layered all components in a cazuela tortera—a wide, shallow earthenware dish—or a deep serving platter. The broth would be ladled hot from a simmering pot on the stove or hearth. Cooking the soup often involved placing the cazuela over a charcoal brazier or on a wood-fired stove, sometimes using gentle heat both below and above the vessel if possible, to evenly reduce the broth and meld the flavors.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Servings
4
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
- 6–8 slices day-old country bread (about 10 1/2 oz total)
- 4 oz celery, finely chopped (leaves and tender stalks)
- 1 oz fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground clove
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 6 1/3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- Salt, to taste
- 4 eggs (for frying or boiling)
- Olive oil or butter (for frying eggs; optional)
Instructions
- To make this delicious celery soup with a historical twist, start by toasting about 6–8 slices of day-old country bread in the oven until deeply golden and crisp.
- Finely chop a small bunch of celery (about 4 oz) and a handful of fresh parsley (1 oz), then mix them together.
- Sandwich this vibrant herb mixture between pairs of toasted bread slices and layer them snugly in a large, deep oven-proof dish or casserole.
- Sprinkle a delicate blend of black pepper (to taste), freshly grated nutmeg (1/8 tsp), ground clove (1/8 tsp), and ground cinnamon (1/4 tsp) over the layers.
- Heat 6 1/3 cups of good-quality vegetable or chicken broth with a pinch of salt, then pour it generously over the bread until well covered.
- Place the dish either over low heat on the stovetop or in the oven at 350°F, letting the bread soak up the broth—allowing the liquid to reduce without the soup becoming overly thick.
- Finish by scattering remains of chopped parsley and celery over the surface and, just before serving, crown the dish with quartered hard-boiled eggs or sunny-side up fried eggs for an extra touch of richness.
Estimated Calories
320 per serving
Cooking Estimates
You will need about 10 minutes to get the ingredients ready and toast the bread. Cooking and soaking with broth takes another 25 to 30 minutes. This recipe makes 4 servings, with each bowl having about 320 calories if you use fried eggs.
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.
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