Escudella
Traditional Catalan and Valencian soup
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Escudella i carn d'olla, or shorter escudella (Eastern Catalan: [əskuˈðeʎə]; lit. 'bowl'), is a traditional Catalan and Valencian soup made with meat and vegetables.[1] Francesc Eiximenis wrote in the 14th century that it was eaten every day by Catalan people.[2]
| Alternative names | Escudella |
|---|---|
| Type | Soup |
| Place of origin | Spain |
| Region or state | |
| Main ingredients | Pilota (large spiced meatball), vegetables |
| Variations | Escudella de pagès |

It is characterized by the use of a pilota, a very big meatball spiced with garlic and parsley; it also contains vegetables as celery, cabbage, carrots, etc.[3] depending on the season. Additionally, bones, sausages called botifarra, and other types of meat, can be used.
Service
Escudella is typically served in two parts:
- The escudella proper is a soup consisting of a broth with pasta, rice or both.
- The carn d'olla is all the meat used in the broth, served afterwards in a tray along with the vegetables used.[4]
When both parts are served mixed together, it is called escudella barrejada or escudella de pagès.
Escudella de Nadal
There is a particular version of this soup that can be called "escudella de Nadal" (Christmas soup) or either "sopa de galets" (galets' soup), and is very typical on Christmas Day.[2][5] It includes meat from four different animals, a pilota, several vegetables and the traditional special type of pasta, known as galets, which are snail-shaped and notable for their considerable size.