Escudella (Catalan meat and pasta soup)
A winter dish: broth of meats, chicken, a large meatball and vegetables, served first as pasta soup, then the meats.
Well-cooked hot dish
Ingredients
- veal
- chicken
- pork
- large meatball (pilota)
- potatoes
- cabbage
- chickpeas
- carrot
- galets pasta
- salt
How it is prepared
Meats and vegetables simmer for about 3 hours; large pasta shells are cooked in the broth and served separately.
Food safety with low immunity
- Cook meat right through: steaming hot inside, with no pink parts or pink juices.
- Chicken and turkey must be fully cooked; keep raw poultry away from other foods and wash hands and boards after handling it.
- Minced meat and dishes made from it must always be fully cooked — including the middle.
How to prepare it during treatment
The meatball must be cooked to the centre. Hot soup may suit nausea and poor appetite. Refrigerate leftovers within an hour.
Your diet during treatment is agreed with your doctor. Sample 7-day menu for the treatment period →
Storage
Cool quickly (within 2 hours), refrigerate in shallow containers and eat within 1–2 days; with low counts many teams advise 24 hours. You can freeze portions.
Reheating
Reheat only once — bring to the boil, stirring. It should be steaming hot, not just warm.
Symptoms it may suit
- Low appetite. Gives a lot of energy and protein in a small portion — can help when appetite is low.
- Nausea. Mild and not too greasy; can be eaten in small portions, warm or at room temperature.
- Weight loss. Energy-dense and easy to enrich (oil, cheese, yoghurt) — can help with weight loss.
These are general observations: what suits you can change from day to day.
Treatment phases
- Before treatmentmay suit
- During a coursemay suit
- Low counts (neutropenia)Freshly cooked and hotmay suit
- Between coursesmay suit
- After treatmentmay suit
Phase notes are general. During low counts, follow only your care team’s food rules.
If you have other conditions
- High blood pressure, Heart disease, Kidney disease. Often salty (stock, salty cheese, sausage, pickles). With high blood pressure, heart or kidney disease, discuss salt limits with your team.
- Autoimmune disease, Stomach and gut. Contains wheat (gluten). With coeliac disease and some autoimmune conditions, discuss it with your team.
- Heart disease, Obesity, Liver disease, Stomach and gut. Can be fatty. With heart, liver or digestive disease, or excess weight, discuss fat content and portions with your team.
Nutrition (per 100 g)
Nutrition figures from a reliable source have not been added for this dish yet.
More from this cuisine
Related topics
Food safetyNeutropenic diet (low-microbial diet)PasteurisedCore cooking temperatureLeftoversCross-contamination
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Safer Food Choices for People With Weakened Immune Systems
- FoodSafety.gov (U.S. HHS). Cook to a Safe Minimum Internal Temperature
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Leftovers and Food Safety
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Food Safety for Older Adults and People with Cancer, Diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Organ Transplants, and Autoimmune Diseases
- Food Standards Agency (UK). Chilling
- World Health Organization (WHO). Five keys to safer food manual
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Food Safety During Cancer Treatment
- National Cancer Institute (NCI). Eating Hints: Before, during, and after Cancer Treatment
- BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, 2019. Neutropenic diets to prevent cancer infections: updated systematic review and meta-analysis
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). FoodData Central — Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS)