Caldo Verde - Portuguese Kale Soup
Caldo Verde translated literally into Portuguese means "Green Pot". My father hails from mainland Portugal and growing up, I took several trips out there and it was common for my family and I to consume numerous bowls of Caldo Verde. The most common type involves a broth and potato soup, blended until smooth and then strips of kale are added. A lot of people like the clean cut look of collard strips and use them instead of kale. I consider those people heathens! You can't make kale soup without kape. I spit on your collard soup. ::spit::. I have never made this soup with carrots and I tried it to my basic recipe. This soup has a lot of variations. You can easily make it with just potatoes, kale and water (with salt and pepper). However, the additions of onions, garlic, chorizo and carrots make it wonderful. Next time I'll try adding kidney beans. I really hope you'll take the opportunity to make this very special soup. It's really symbolic of Portuguese cuisine and it's a great soup for the winter time.
Total Steps
11
Ingredients
14
Tools Needed
8
Ingredients
- 1/2 large onion(optional)
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced(optional)
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed(optional)
- 4 large yellow potatoes, chopped
- 2 links chorizo, with casings removed, halved and chopped(optional)
- 1 bunch kale, julienned
- 6 cups water
- 4 cups chicken stock(optional)
- 2 packets chicken bouillon(optional)
- crushed red pepper flakes(optional)
- salt(optional)
- pepper(optional)
- olive oil
- loaf Portuguese bread(optional)
Instructions
Step 1
Chop your onions, slice your carrots, and smash your garlic. Set aside.
Step 2
Peel and chop the potatoes. Set aside in a bowl of cold water.
Step 3
Remove the casing from your chorizo. Cut the links lengthwise, then chop into half-moons. Saute the chorizo in a separate pan until browned. Do not add to the main pot until the last minute, to prevent its color from affecting the soup.
Step 4
Prepare the kale: Cut out the stem from each individual leaf (by cutting a triangle, folding and cutting, or ripping off leaf halves). Tightly roll the leaf into a bundle. Julienne the leaf into thin strips. Set aside.
Step 5
In a large pot, saute your onions, carrots, and garlic in a bit of olive oil.
Step 6
Once the vegetables start to soften, add the potatoes and some crushed red pepper flakes. Stir the pot and cook the potatoes until their outer edges start turning clear.
Step 7
Then add the 6 cups of water and 2 bouillon packets (or 4 cups of broth and 2 cups of water) to the pot. Bring to a boil then let simmer until the potatoes are cooked.
Step 8
With a wooden spoon, mash the potatoes against the side of the pot until almost all the chunks of potatoes are mashed. Leave some chunks behind for a hearty texture.
Step 9
Add the kale to the pot. It will look like a lot and fill the pot, but it will wilt down quickly.
Step 10
Cook for 5 minutes at a simmer, then stir in the cooked chorizo sausage. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 11
Serve hot or at room temperature. Enjoy with a nice crusty loaf of Portuguese bread.