Cappelletti soup

Cappelletti Soup with Creamy Cassava Base

There’s a dish that means Sunday comfort all over Southern Brazil: cappelletti in broth. A legacy of Italian immigration, it became a staple at family gatherings and cold-weather lunches — that steaming bowl that warms you from the inside out.

Here, we put a twist on the classic: instead of a simple broth, the base is a well-made cassava cream, which makes the soup thick and velvety without needing heavy cream or flour. The result is a one-pot meal — chicken, cassava, carrot, kale, and cappelletti, all simmering together until you get that hearty broth a spoon can almost stand up in.

No cassava on hand? No problem — potatoes work just as well as the creamy base, with a slightly milder flavor.

It’s the kind of recipe you make slowly, stirring now and then, letting the smell of garlic and onion take over the kitchen. All you need at the end is a spoon and a cold day to enjoy it.

Ingredients (Serves 3 large portions)

• 375g peeled and chopped cassava (about 3 medium pieces)
• 375g chicken (in pieces or shredded)
• 150g chicken cappelletti pasta (approximately 1½ cups)
• 1 large carrot, diced small
• 2 large kale leaves (or other greens), thinly sliced
• 1.5 liters of water
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed (don’t hold back!)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
• Salt, black pepper, and paprika to taste
• Fresh herbs (parsley and chives) to taste, for finishing

Instructions

1. Creamy cassava base

1. Cook the cassava in salted water until very tender.
2. Remove the fibrous central strings.
3. Blend the cassava (in a blender or with an immersion blender) with the cooking water until it forms a smooth, thick, velvety cream. Set aside.

2. Sauté

1. In a large pot, heat the oil and sauté the garlic and onion until golden.
2. Add the chicken (in pieces or shredded) and cook well.
3. Add the carrot, tomato paste, and black pepper, stirring for 2 minutes to absorb the flavor of the garlic.

3. Cooking the Cappelletti

1. Pour the cassava cream into the pan and mix well.
2. As soon as it boils, add the cappelletti directly to the broth.
3. Cook over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom.
4. Keep an eye on it: the cappelletti will absorb more liquid. If the broth starts to thicken, gradually add a little hot water to maintain a broth consistency.

Read also : Pumpkin Cream Soup with Dried Beef.

4. Finishing

1. Two minutes before the end of cooking, add the sliced ​​kale and fresh herbs (parsley).
2. Stir until the leaves wilt, adjust the salt to taste, and turn off the heat.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 3 large portions
Difficulty: Easy