Traditional “Olla de Castelló”

 

Preparing a Castelló Pot , also called Olla de la Plana, is very easy, it is a simple soup, you only need vegetables, a little water, salt and extra virgin olive oil, what do you say?

The key is to choose a mix of vegetables that gives us a tasty soup and broth, don’t be scared, it won’t be complicated, with the typical vegetables for the stew and a few more additions it will be enough.

These “additions” will be what make a soup a little different depending on what you choose, but the base will always be the same and it will be what provides the flavor.

 

The Castelló pot or “dejuni” pot is a soup based of vegetables, with legumes and rice, a very old and healthy recipe.

 

To give this vegetable soup more consistency, a legume is usually added, either chickpeas or white beans, another option would be to add a cereal, for example rice, and often both.

A less classic version would be to add quinoa or bulgur, but I have to say that I have never tried it.

I am going to show you how to make this vegetable pot the way it has always been made in my family, with onion, leek, celery, turnip, celeriac, carrot, potato, cabbage, thistles and chickpeas, sometimes chard was added, depending on availability and other times a handful of rice.

You could also add wheat, as I was saying, it all depended on what was available hand.

 

 

A bowl of this delicious vegetable soup to start a meal is very comforting, and it perfectly complements a main course based on meat, fish, or eggs.

The most classic recipe includes chickpeas and rice, so if you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, the combination is perfect. If you feel like innovating, try using white beans and quinoa, that way you will get a complete and quality protein in a single dish.

 

It is an open recipe, some vegetables or others were used depending on availability.

 

The truth is that I love this type of recipes because they are flexible, keep in mind that this is one of those dishes that were made in the past with the vegetables and greens that were on hand.

It is a farmers’ dish, they did not go to buy the ingredients, they used what they had, if there was cabbage, they added cabbage, and if there was chard, then chard. If they had chickpeas they would add them, if not a good handful of rice was enough.

From what my grandmother told me, the men who worked in the fields would leave home in the morning with what was known as “recapte”, it was the take-out food, and of course it was cold food.

The most common thing was to bring bread, sausages, cheese, seasonal fruit, and of course, the wineskin and the water jug.

When they got home at night they needed a spoon dish, recipes like this stew were one of those hot and comforting dishes that were eaten to end the day.

 

It was the ideal dish for days of fasting and abstinence during the Lent.

 

Why is it called “Olla de dejuni”

The reason why this dish used to be called “olla de dejuni”, in Spanish it would be “olla de rápido”, is clear, it does not contain meat and therefore was ideal for the time of Lent.

I don’t know if you know that in addition to abstinence every Friday of the year, the Canon Code, in code 1251, establishes that there are 2 days of the year in which fasting must be observed, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

The fasting imposed on Catholics for those days consisted of eating a single heavy meal a day and a very light breakfast and dinner, based on liquids if possible.

If this We add abstinence (not eating meat or fish), what type of dish do you think could be eaten at that main meal? I’m sure you’ve guessed it! This pot is perfect.

The Castelló pot is a dish of vegetables with legumes and cereals, comforting and satisfying that meets all the requirements to be chosen on days of fasting and abstinence. It does not contain meat or fish, but it nourishes and comforts, a very old example of protein supplementation.

 

Prepare a pot on Sunday and save it for the rest of the week.

 

Why is it called “olla” / “olleta” from Castelló:

The reason whyThe reason this recipe is called “olla” is obvious, because of the container in which it was cooked, it is exactly the same as what happens with the Valencian paella, it is called that because of the paella pan (a kind of frying pan with two handles), in which it is cooked. Traditionally it was made in clay pots and now, if you have it in a restaurant that serves traditional cuisine, it is still usually served in individual clay casseroles. In addition, this version of “dejuni”, without meat, is typical of Castelló de la Plana and the surrounding towns, the coastal ones, where the temperatures were not so low, but there is also a more substantial version of this dish. La olleta de Sant Mateu, a recipe with the same base to which meat and sausages are added, it is logical to think that in the Maestrazgo the cold was much more intense and the work in the fields even more hard.

This indoor version contains more fat and more calories, which makes a lot of sense in an environment with much more extreme weather conditions.

 

The Castelló pot is related to the Valencian puchero that is cooked throughout the territory with variations depending on the area.

 

To prepare this dish, cut all the vegetables into more or less equal pieces, rather small, add everything to the pot, I usually do it in a pressure cooker, it takes less time and since it boils for less time, fewer nutrients are lost.

If you add chickpeas, remember to soak them beforehand for at least 8 hours. If you add canned vegetables, you should do so at the last moment before serving; if you add them at the beginning, they will fall apart.

Cover the vegetables with water and add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, half a teaspoon of sea salt, and that’s it.

Close the pot and cook for 20 minutes from the moment the rings have risen.

If you want to add rice, you must do so a posteriori, otherwise it will overcook. In that case, put one or two servings of the pot with enough broth in another pot, and add two handfuls of rice.

 

 

Advantages of this recipe:

• The main advantage is that you can have it made, (if it has rested it is tastier), and heat a portion whenever you want.
• This is a great recipe if you suffer from heartburn or reflux. This vegetable mix is ​​mild and will do you good if served warm.
• It is also great if you suffer from constipation. The onion, leek, and fiber from the different vegetables in the broth improve bowel movements.
• It is a comforting dish. When you get home feeling cold and tired, serve yourself a bowl of this soup. It will make you feel better.
• If you have very young children, you can turn a serving of this pot into a delicious, flavorful puree.

 

If you liked this recipe, you might also be interested in:

• Vegetable soup and how to avoid gastroesophageal reflux.
• Cabbage soup with spices.