The Portuguese immigration to Hawai’i began in earnest in 1878 when laborers from Madeira and the Azores arrived to work on sugarcane plantations. They brought with them their food and . . . the ukelele!

Ingredients:

I usually throw whatever I have around the house in it, so ingredients can be optional, and proportions are not precise. These are the items that are usually in the soup:

• 2-3 pounds Ham hocks, but can be less if you don’t want so much meat
• 1 ring of Portuguese sausage
• 1-2 cans of 15 oz tomato sauce
• 1-2 carrots diced
• 1 onion diced 
• 1-2 cans of kidney beans
• 2 stalks chopped celery
• 1-2 potatoes diced
• Garlic, salt and pepper to taste
• Water to cover (about 8 Cups)

The following items are mostly optional depending on whether you like the flavor, want more vegetables, want spicier, have the ingredients, etc.

• Chopped cabbage (up to 1 head)
• 1-2 whole cloves
• 1-2 bay leaves
• Peppercorns (up to 1 tsp)
• Chopped parsley
• Uncooked macaroni

Directions:

• Simmer all ingredients except for cabbage and sausage for 1 – 2½ hrs. The meat should be falling off the ham hock.
• Add sausage and cabbage and simmer for another hour.
• Like most stews, it tastes better the next day.

– Submitted by Jana Aylett-Wong