Lorraine Williamson
Step into the shade in early March, and you still feel winter. Step back into the sun, and it feels like spring has already arrived. This is the strange, beautiful contradiction of late winter in southern Spain — and it calls for food that understands the balance.
Few dishes do that better than Sopa de Picadillo Spain style.
Light enough for a warm terrace lunch. Comforting enough for a cool evening breeze off the Mediterranean. In Malaga, it has long been the quiet hero of the Sunday table.
The Malaga Sunday version
In many Malaga homes, sopa de picadillo begins with a proper homemade broth. A whole chicken, or at least a carcass with bones, simmers gently with carrot, onion, and sometimes a little celery. It cooks slowly. No rushing.
The broth is then strained until clear and golden.
Finely shredded chicken is returned to the pot. Very fine fideos are added. Finally, chopped boiled egg — sometimes small cubes of jamón serrano — are stirred through at the end.
Everything is cut small. That is the meaning of picadillo.
The result is delicate but deeply flavourful. It is never thick. Never heavy. Just clean, restorative, and quietly nourishing.
This is the version often served as a first course at Sunday family meals across Andalucia.
Why it works in March
March in Spain can feel unsettled. Mornings are crisp. Afternoons surprise you. Evenings cool quickly.
Heavy winter stews begin to feel excessive. Salads still feel premature.
Sopa de picadillo sits perfectly in between.
It warms you without anchoring you to winter. It feels light without being insubstantial. t suits a day that cannot quite decide what season it belongs to.
A quick weekday “cheats” version
For busy households, a faster version works beautifully.
Using good-quality chicken stock as your base, you can recreate the spirit of a Malaga Sopa de Picadillo Spain style in under 30 minutes.
Gently simmer the diced carrot first. Add finely chopped raw chicken breast and cook through. Stir in fine noodles and cook until tender. Finish with chopped boiled egg and, if you have it, a small handful of jamón.
Keep the heat gentle. Avoid over-seasoning. Let the broth remain clear.
It is not quite Sunday-grandmother level. But it captures the same feeling.
A dish that makes sense
There is a reason this soup has survived generations.
It is economical. It is adaptable. And it respects the season without being dramatic about it.
On a day when you move between sunshine and shadow, it offers quiet balance in a bowl.
And in early March in Spain, that balance feels exactly right.