Soupy Rice

When people think of Spain, they think of paella. However, Spain has such a range of rice dishes that would make your taste buds tremble.

One of those dishes is “arroz caldoso” or Soupy Rice which is basically rice in a lot of “sauce”, like a soup, so full of flavour that will have you ask for seconds and lots of bread to soak on its juice.

In Spain, accompanying your meal with bread is normal. Nobody would consider sitting at the table without, at least, a baguette and when my mum made soupy rice she had to buy two because soaking your bread in that juice is a must and a complete waste of flavour if you don’t do it.

My mum was very good at cooking (and was also very artistic) but that took many years of practice because when she got married, she could not even fry an egg. And here I am, talking about her flavourful achievements that bring memories of the past and inspired me to start my YouTube channel and this blog.

Please, enjoy this recipe that comes all the way from my kitchen to you.

You can find the step by step video to this recipe here:

Soupy Rice

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins approx
Difficulty: Easy
Rating: stars
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Credit: The Spaniard’s Kitchen

Ingredients

2 Cups of Rice
1 Onion, finely chopped
2 Cloves of Garlic, chopped
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 Fish Stock Cube
Plenty of Salt
A Few Strands of Saffron
8-10 Cups of Water
A Handful of Clams, clean
1 Squid, clean and sliced
8-10 Whole Prawns
A Splash of Dry White Wine
1 Tomato, chopped
A Splash of Tomate Frito (tomato sauce) – Optional

Directions

1. Heat some oil in a wide pan and lightly fry the prawns, squid and clams for a few minutes to get the flavour out of them.
2. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Drain the liquid from the pan into a small bowl and set aside.
4. Put some oil to the same pan and heat up.
5. Add the onion and cook until brown.
6. Add the garlic, mix and cook for a couple of minutes.
7. Then follow with the peppers and cook further.
8. Add the tomatoes and salt and cook until soft.
9. Add the splash of wine and the reserved juice from cooking the shellfish. Mix. Reduce in medium heat.
10. Add the rice. My mum used to use arroz brillante. It is a long grain rice so you can use any like it. Mix well.
11. Add the water. Remember it has to be boiling water. Mix.
12. Taste for salt and correct if needed. Add fish stock cube and the saffron. Mix and cook.
13. After 20 minutes add the reserved shellfish.
14. Mix.
15. Add more water if needed.
16. Cook for a further 5 minutes.
17. Serve hot with bread and enjoy!