Caldo Verde (Portuguese Green Soup)
Caldo Verde is how the Portuguese do comfort food! It’s a popular Portuguese soup made with collard greens (or kale), potatoes, sausage and bacon. It tastes like um abraço (a hug), especially on a chilly day!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold (or Russet) potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and quartered
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 1 pound linguiça (kielbasa or chorizo) sausage , thinly sliced
- 1 bunch collard greens, thoroughly washed
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken (or vegetable) broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
Equipment
- Immersion Blender
Instructions
- Start by removing the stem off every collard green leaf. Then, stack three to four leaves at a time and roll them like cigars. Cut them crosswise into very thin strips. Proceed with the rest of the leaves. Reserve.
- In a heavy bottomed pot, add the peeled potatoes, the quartered onion, the minced cloves of garlic, the olive oil and the chicken broth. Bring it to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to medium low and cook until the potatoes are tender and ready to be mashed (about 20 min).
- Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. You can also use a regular blender and blend the soup in batches.
- Add the collard greens, stir, and keep cooking for 15 more minutes or until the greens are tender.
- While the greens are cooking, brown the bacon and sausage. In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook the bacon and the sausage until browned, about 5-8 minutes.
- Add the bacon/sausage mixture to the soup and cook until the soup boils again. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately with extra olive oil for drizzling.
Notes
Modifications:
- For a creamier soup, you can add one more pound of potatoes.
- Leftovers will keep for up to 3-4 days in the fridge or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Reheat on the stove, over low heat, adding more liquid as needed to bring it back to the original consistency.