Caldo verde (pronounced [ˈkaldu ˈveɾðɨ], Portuguese for “green broth”) is a popular soup in Portuguese cuisine.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caldo_verde
I’m sure most of you are still broiling in late summer heat, but fall was definitely in the air here in Duluth today, so it seems like a good time to post a new soup recipe.
My last post, Caldo Galego, mentioned that it is a variation of a famous Portuguese soup, caldo verde. As I often do, I decided to go down this little rabbit hole, and explore several Spanish/Portuguese soups that dwell in this family, so why not go back to the original. Yes, I know; caldo verde doesn’t have any beans in it, but every once in a while this little Wikipedia rabbit hole takes me out of the world of legumes. It’s a simple, delicious recipe, perfect for a cool fall day.
Caldo verde originated in Minho province, in northern Portugal. One blog I looked at claimed that it is a 20th century invention, but given that it has managed to spread around the world to become just as popular in far flung former colonies like Brazil as it is back in Portugal, I’m somewhat dubious of that claim. And popular it is, one of a handful of contenders for the title of national dish, it’s eaten in nearly every home and restaurant, and served at special occasions like weddings.
There are 6 basic ingredients in a batch of caldo verde: Onion, garlic, sausage, potato, greens, and water. And some salt and pepper of course. Traditionally the onion, garlic, potatoes and whole sausage would all be boiled together in the pot, then the sausage would be fished out and sliced while the finely shredded greens are cooked into the soup. However most of the recipes I looked at called for frying the sausage and then sautéing the onion and garlic in the sausage fat first, which introduces more layers of flavor.
What kind of sausage you ask? Linguica or Portuguese chouriço are the most commonly called for varieties. I used liguica. Spanish chorizo would also work, although it tends to be drier an heavier on the paprika than the Portuguese version. Really any smoked sausage would work, especially a fairly garlicy one. One blogger claimed that traditionally one slice, and only one slice, of sausage is served with each bowl of soup. I saw no reason to stick to that rule.
How about the greens? Traditionally they would be something called couve-galega, or Portuguese cabbage, which are essentially giant collard greens. Another name for it is walking stick cabbage, and I read one account of Portuguese gardeners getting out the step ladder to harvest from six foot high stalks. Regular collards, kale, savoy cabbage or even turnip greens are acceptable substitutes. They should be sliced very finely so that they will cook quickly.
You can use either starchy or waxy potatoes depending on your preference. Apparently a yellow waxy potato, similar to Yukon gold is traditional, but a lot of the authors of the recipes I looked at preferred a russet type because it breaks down into a creamy soup better. I used Yukon gold, as much because I had some in the cupboard already as any other reason, although I do tend to like their flavor better than russets for most things.
Originally, this was probably made with plain old water, but of course many of the bloggers I looked at upgraded that to chicken stock. I actually made it with plain water, and thought that it had plenty of flavor depth as is.
As I was typing this up I realized that I forgot the drizzle of olive oil when serving. I can only imagine it would take it to a whole new level, at least if you have some good oil. Traditionally caldo verde is served with a type of bread called broa, made with corn and rye, but I had most of a loaf of ciabatta that needed to get eaten, so I decided I wasn’t going to spend the time baking more bread.
Caldo Verde
Serves: 6
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1:00
Total: 1:15
3 ⅔ Tablespoons olive oil
9 oz. Linguica sausage, sliced
OR
10 oz chourico sausage, sliced
1 large onion, diced small
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 medium potatoes, peeled (if desired) and sliced
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
⅛ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
7 cups water
OR
7 cups chicken stock
¾ lb collard greens
OR
¾ lb. kale
Optional:
Zest of one lemon
Heat olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pan or dutch oven over medium heat. Add sliced sausages, and fry until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes on each side. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage and set aside.
Add the onion and garlic to the fat in the pan and sauté until translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add the potatoes and stir until well coated with oil. Add salt, pepper and water or chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potato is soft, 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, remove the central stems from the collards or kale. Stack 3-4 leaves together, roll them up like a cigar, and thinly slice them. Repeat with remaining leaves.
When potatoes are tender, add half the sausage back to the pot, and use an immersion blender (or work in batches in a regular blender) to puree the soup until it is smooth. Add the sliced greens and simmer until they are tender and the soup has taken on a greenish tint from the greens, 5-10 minutes.
Check for seasoning, ladle into bowls and top with the remaining sausage slices and a generous drizzle of good olive oil. Serve with bread for dipping.
Lorin cooks Legumes 