Recipe Manuscript

Sopa De Coles

Name: Sopa De Coles
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT1H15M
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 kg white cabbage; 150 g bacon or pork fat (ardo; substitute pork belly or lardons); 1 medium red chili pepper (guajillo, or substitute with another fresh red chili); 300 g potatoes (about 2 medium potatoes), peeled; 150 g cooked chickpeas (garbanzos); 2 fresh chorizo sausages (about 120 g total), casing removed and crumbled; 150 g crusty bread (e.g., half a baguette); 500 ml pork broth (or chicken broth if unavailable)

"Cabbage Soup"

1900

From the treasured pages of Mexican Cooking Notebook of Traditional and Original Mexican Recipes

Unknown Author

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

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 Coles

"Se pica la col mui menudita se hecha a desflemar la bispera de que se haga se pone a coser la col con un pedazo de ardo y un trozo de aji machacado y unas papas peladas y garbanzos cosidos chorizos desbaratados y lla que esta todo sasonado que quede nada mas su manteca se tuesta el pan rebanado y se hecha poniendo capas de cada cosa y se le echa caldo de carne de puerco."

English Translation

"Finely chop the cabbage and leave it to soften the day before preparing. Boil the cabbage with a piece of lard, a bit of crushed chili pepper, some peeled potatoes, cooked chickpeas, and crumbled chorizo. Once everything is seasoned and only the fat remains, toast sliced bread and layer the ingredients, pouring pork broth over everything."

Note on the Original Text

Written in free-flowing, near-continuous sentences, the original recipe assumes the reader is already familiar with both the ingredient names and the sequence of traditional Mexican cookery. Spelling reflects regional and old-fashioned usage ('hecha' instead of 'echa,' 'desflemar'), and words like 'ardo' likely refer to pork fat or bacon. Quantities are approximate or omitted entirely, emphasizing flexibility and reliance on the cook's experience. Cooking verbs are given in the imperative—'se pica,' 'se hecha'—reflecting a colloquial, oral transmission style common in older Mexican manuscripts.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Mexican Cooking Notebook of Traditional and Original Mexican Recipes - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Mexican Cooking Notebook of Traditional and Original Mexican Recipes (1900)

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

Writer

Unknown

Era

1900

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful journey through the flavors of Mexico, this notebook brims with both traditional and original recipes—from sopa de chile to sangria—inviting you to savor the vibrant tastes and inventive spirit of Mexican home cooking at the turn of the century.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This rich and hearty cabbage soup, or Sopa de Coles, is drawn from a late 19th to early 20th-century Mexican cooking notebook. The notebook records an array of both traditional and unique Mexican dishes, reflecting the mingling of Spanish colonial and local indigenous flavors that defined Mexican cuisine in this era. Dishes like this speak to home cooking—simple, economical, and designed to stretch humble ingredients into nourishing meals for the household. The use of pork fat and chorizo reveals Spanish influence, while the inclusion of chili, potatoes, and garbanzos comes from both European and New World culinary traditions.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the early 20th century Mexican home, preparation would have employed a sturdy wooden chopping board and a sharp knife for finely chopping the cabbage. A heavy clay cazuela or large metal pot would be used for boiling and assembling the dish. Bread would be toasted either over a comal (flat griddle) or under coals in the hearth, and a mortar and pestle (molcajete) would be used to crush the chili. Dishes would be layered in deep earthenware or ceramic serving bowls.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 15 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

2.2 lbs white cabbage
5.3 oz bacon or pork fat (ardo; substitute pork belly or lardons)
1 medium red chili pepper (guajillo, or substitute with another fresh red chili)
10.5 oz potatoes (about 2 medium potatoes), peeled
5.3 oz cooked chickpeas (garbanzos)
2 fresh chorizo sausages (about 4.2 oz total), casing removed and crumbled
5.3 oz crusty bread (e.g., half a baguette)
2 cups (16 fl oz) pork broth (or chicken broth if unavailable)

Instructions

First, finely chop about 1 medium white cabbage (approximately 2.2 lbs) and soak it in water overnight to remove its strong flavors.
The next day, drain the cabbage and place it in a large pot with about 5.3 oz of bacon (or pork fat), 1 medium chili pepper (ideally a Mexican variety like guajillo or substitute with red chili), peeled and crushed, 2 medium potatoes (about 10.5 oz), peeled and cut in chunks, 5.3 oz cooked chickpeas, and 1-2 fresh chorizo sausages, crumbled.
Cook everything together until well seasoned and most of the fat has rendered out, leaving just a slick of the melting pork fat.
Slice and toast about half a baguette (or 5.3 oz) of bread.
In a large dish or casserole, arrange toasted bread in layers, interleaving with portions of the cooked cabbage mixture.
Ladle over 2 cups (16 fl oz) of hot pork broth (or chicken broth if pork not available), allowing the bread to soak up the flavorful liquid before serving.

Estimated Calories

600 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Soaking and preparing the cabbage takes time, but cooking is straightforward. Most prep work is peeling, chopping, and layering ingredients. Each serving is filling and includes bread, potatoes, chorizo, chickpeas, and bacon, so it’s hearty.

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.