St Christopher’s Brodino Soup

Every month in her Cape Town kitchen, Grazia Barletta  prepares a recipe inspired by the saints, and shares it with our readers in text and photos taken exclusively for The Southern Cross by the chef herself. 

Saint Christopher is known as the patron saint of safe travels. He is also one of the most popular saints, and his intercession is sought by soldiers, sailors, and those caught in storms.

The travellers’ patronage stems from the legend of St Christopher carrying the disguised Christ-child across a river. That is the origin of the name “Christopher”, which means “Christ-bearer”. That name is therefore a title.

He was born in the 3rd century. Some say his original name was Reprobus (others say it was Offerus). Described as being 2,3m in height, with a “fearsome face”, he was determined to serve the greatest king of all. Initially working for the king of Canaan, he noticed that when someone mentioned the name of the devil, the king would make the sign of the cross. Reprobus concluded that if the king feared the devil, the devil must be greater. So he decided to serve the devil.

One day, legend tells us, he encountered a pack of robbers on the road, one of whom claimed to be the devil himself. Reprobus noticed that the devil refused to walk on the side of the road with a cross stuck in the ground. This convinced him that Christ was greater than the devil. He set out in search of Christ, wanting to serve him as the greatest king. Along the way, Reprobus met a hermit who baptised and catechised him.

St Christopher’s Ministry

As a Christian, Christopher’s ministry was to help people cross a treacherous river in which many had lost their lives while attempting to reach the other side. Due to his size, crossing the river was less challenging for him, and he safely assisted travellers across the waters.

One fateful day, a small child appeared at the riverbank and asked Christopher for help. Christopher lifted the child onto his shoulder and began to carry him through the waters. As he walked, the child grew heavier and heavier until Christopher realised that he was bearing the weight of the entire world. The child, he discovered, was Jesus Christ himself.

Then the Christ-child told Christopher to stick his staff in the river’s bank and come back the following day. When Christopher returned, he saw that the staff had become a palm tree, bearing fruit. This was the sign that the child truly was Christ.

Christopher went on to the cities of Lycia and Antioch, in modern-day Turkey, to comfort the persecuted Christians. The king tried to force Christopher to worship the pagan gods, but Christopher refused. His steadfast faith converted many in the city, so the king ordered that Christopher should be executed. After many attempts on his life, he was beheaded.

The memory of Christopher’s service to travellers was kept alive. In medieval times, images of St Christopher carrying the Christ-child became popular. Sadly, the historical evidence for St Christopher’s existence is scanty, and therefore his feast day, July 25, was removed from the Roman Calendar during its reform in 1969. Many now think this means that St Christopher is no longer considered a saint, but that is not true. He is still recognised as a saint and is still revered as a powerful helper in times of need.

We celebrate St Christopher with a brodino soup, which is light and wholesome. This is a great meal, especially when returning home from a very long journey, whether it is by plane, car, bicycle or on foot. If you do not eat meat, simply add more vegetables, such as potatoes, green beans or even broccoli. This soup is nourishing for the body yet made with simple ingredients. And in winter, who doesn’t love a good soup?

Preparation: 65 min •  Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 packet of beef shin • 3 stalks of leaves of a whole celery • 2 carrots, cut into sticks • 1 onion chopped roughly • ½ tsp crushed garlic • 6 baby plum tomatoes, halved • 5 cups water • salt and pepper to taste • pasta, barley or any kind of beans (optional)

Preparation:

1. Place all the ingredients in a pot, and bring to the boil.
2. Simmer for 50 minutes, then add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Enjoy with a prayer to St Christopher!

Grazia Barletta is an author, book designer, and food photographer & stylist. She can be contacted at . Follow her blog at www.momentswithgrazia.com and connect with Grazia on Facebook: momentswithgrazia; Instagram: momentswithgrazia

Published in the July 2024 issue of The Southern Cross magazine