This is, maybe, the most well-known Portuguese soup. Why, you ask? Because it’s very versatile and normally enjoyed on “specific” occasions…
Have you been dancing all night in Lisbon and want something to warm your stomach before calling it a day? You might end up in Merendeira, eating a bowl of Caldo-verde. It’s the end of a day spent at the beach in Costa da Caparica and you start to feel the urge for some food? Well, it’s time to enjoy some chorizo bread and a bowl of Caldo-verde. In Portugal, it’s almost as common to enjoy Caldo-verde at the end of a long weeding party, as it is to taste the bride cake itself…
Despite having some variants according to the Portuguese region in which it is prepared, Caldo-verde is a soup made with few ingredients and easy processes, with the kale and chorizo having a prominent place.
For a Vegan variant of this recipe don’t include the chorizo from it. If you want it a bit creamier, add an extra potato to the ingredients.
Caldo-verde is a great soup to close a meal composed of Petiscos or to start your regular three-course meal. That’s why, at Homecooking Lisbon, you can learn its tricks and tips on a hands-on cooking class on both our Portuguese ‘Petiscos’ Cooking Class and Traditional Portuguese Cooking Class.
Caldo-verde
Equipment
- Large pan
Ingredients
- 1,5 l water
- 600 g potatoes peeled and cut in four
- 200 g kale (couve-galega) thinly sliced (julienne)
- 1/2 chorizo
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 medium-sized onion minced
- 1,5 dl olive oil
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- In a large pan, bring the water to boil and blanch the kale for 5min. Reserve the kale and the water;
- Heat the olive oil in the pan and add the chorizo open in two. Sauté for a few minutes. Reserve the chorizo;
- On the same pan, sauté the onion and garlic;
- Add potatoes and mix everything together;
- Pour the water used to cook the kale in the pan and boil for 20 minutes, over medium heat;
- Take the pan off the heat and purée with a mixer;
- Season with salt and pepper according to your taste;
- Bring the soup to boil, add the kale and let it cook for 10 min, or until it becomes tender;
- Check seasonings and drizzle with olive oil;
- Serve the soup with a few slices of chorizo.
What a fantastic recipe!
Loved it.
Amazing recipe. So simple and yet so tastefull.
It was fun cooking the soup, but eating it was even better.
Delicious comfort food :)and super easy to prepare!!! The recipe is pretty simple to follow and there’s only a simple step you need to skip to make it vegan. So this is a great option for your vegan and non vegan friends to get around the same table. Definitely deserves a try!