Mi abuela pone una hoja de laurel en la sopa, pero la quita antes de servir.

Pone is the third-person singular form of poner in the present tense, because the subject is mi abuela = my grandmother / she.

Present tense of poner:

• yo pongo
• tú pones
• él/ella/usted pone
• nosotros ponemos
• vosotros ponéis
• ellos/ellas/ustedes ponen

So:

• Mi abuela pone... = My grandmother puts...

Also, poner is slightly irregular in the yo form (pongo), but pone is regular-looking.

Spanish often omits subject pronouns because the verb ending already tells you who is doing the action.

So instead of saying:

• Mi abuela pone...
• or Ella pone...

Spanish usually just says:

• Mi abuela pone...

Since mi abuela is already the subject, adding ella would normally be unnecessary unless you want extra emphasis or contrast.

Here, pone means puts or adds.

The verb poner has several meanings depending on context, such as:

• to put
• to place
• to set
• sometimes to add

In this sentence, poner una hoja de laurel en la sopa means to put/add a bay leaf into the soup.

Because Spanish often names this item as a leaf of bay laurel, literally:

• hoja = leaf
• de laurel = of bay/laurel

So una hoja de laurel is the normal way to say a bay leaf.

You usually would not say just laurel if you mean the single leaf being used in cooking, because laurel is the plant/substance, while hoja de laurel is the individual leaf.

Because laurel is being used here in a general, descriptive sense, not as the specific laurel plant.

• hoja de laurel = bay leaf
• literally, leaf of bay/laurel

Spanish often uses de + noun like this to describe what something is made of or what type it is:

• taza de té = cup of tea
• mesa de madera = wooden table
• hoja de laurel = bay leaf

If you said del laurel, it would sound more like from the laurel tree / from the specific laurel, which is not the normal expression here.

Because poner algo en is the normal pattern for putting something into/in something.

• poner una hoja en la sopa = put a leaf in the soup

Spanish uses:

• en for location or placement inside/within
• a often for direction, movement toward something, or certain objects/people depending on the verb

Here the bay leaf ends up in the soup, so en la sopa is the natural choice.

La is a direct object pronoun meaning it here.

It refers to una hoja de laurel.

So:

• Mi abuela pone una hoja de laurel en la sopa = My grandmother puts a bay leaf in the soup
• pero la quita... = but she removes it...

Why la? Because hoja is:

• feminine
• singular

So the pronoun is:

• la = it (feminine singular direct object)

It does not refer to la sopa in this sentence. Context and meaning make it clear that she removes the bay leaf, not the soup.

In Spanish, object pronouns usually go before a conjugated verb.

So:

• quita la hoja = she removes the leaf
• la quita = she removes it

That is the normal word order with a conjugated verb.

With infinitives, gerunds, and affirmative commands, pronouns can attach to the end instead:

• quitarla = to remove it
• quitándola = removing it
• quítala = remove it

But here the verb is conjugated (quita), so la goes before it:

• la quita

They are opposite actions in this context:

• poner = to put / to place / to add
• quitar = to remove / to take away

So the sentence describes a sequence:

1. She puts a bay leaf in the soup.
2. She removes it before serving.

Quitar is a very common verb and can also mean things like:

• take away
• remove
• get rid of

Because after antes de, Spanish uses an infinitive when the subject stays general or is understood.

So:

• antes de servir = before serving

You do not use a conjugated verb directly after antes de in this structure.

Compare:

• antes de servir = before serving
• antes de comer = before eating
• antes de salir = before leaving

If you want a full clause with a conjugated verb, Spanish usually uses antes de que + subjunctive:

• antes de que sirva = before she serves

But in your sentence, antes de servir is the normal compact structure.

It could, depending on how explicit you want to be.

• antes de servir = before serving
• antes de servirla = before serving it

In the original sentence, the object is understood from context: she is serving the soup. Spanish often leaves that unstated when it is obvious.

So both are possible:

• Mi abuela pone una hoja de laurel en la sopa, pero la quita antes de servir.
• ...pero la quita antes de servirla.

In the first version, servir means to serve with the object implied.

It can be understood as a habitual present.

In sentences like this, the Spanish present tense often describes:

• a habit
• something someone usually does
• a general routine

So this sentence most naturally means:

• My grandmother puts a bay leaf in the soup, but removes it before serving.

That sounds like something she regularly does, not necessarily something happening at this exact moment.

Hoja is pronounced roughly like OH-ha in Spain, but with a stronger Spanish j sound.

Important points:

• h is silent in Spanish
• j is pronounced like a strong throaty sound, not like English j

So:

• hoja ≈ O-ha, with the h actually coming from the Spanish j sound

Also:

• abuela ≈ ah-BWEH-la
• quita ≈ KEE-ta
• laurel ≈ lau-REL

Sometimes yes, but the nuance is a little different.

• poner = to put
• echar = to throw in / add / put in

In cooking, both can be used in many contexts:

• pone una hoja de laurel en la sopa
• echa una hoja de laurel en la sopa

Both are understandable.
But poner sounds a bit more neutral here, while echar can sound slightly more like add in or throw in, depending on tone and region.

Sometimes in conversation, yes, but the meaning changes slightly in tone.

• mi abuela = my grandmother
• abuela = grandmother or Grandma, depending on context

If you are talking about her as your grandmother, mi abuela is the clearest and most standard form.

In direct address, you might say:

• Abuela, ven aquí. = Grandma, come here.

But in a sentence like this, mi abuela is the natural choice if you mean my grandmother.

Because pero means but, and it joins two contrasting parts of the sentence.

Spanish punctuation often uses a comma before pero when two clauses are connected:

• Mi abuela pone una hoja de laurel en la sopa, pero la quita antes de servir.

This is similar to English:

• My grandmother puts a bay leaf in the soup, but removes it before serving.

The comma helps show the contrast between:

• putting the leaf in
• taking it out later