Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Caldo Verde

I have no patience or energy to be in the kitchen today, my throat is really hurting and my body aches and I just want to go to bed, but alas, I can't until the family is taken care of and that includes cooking dinner.

Caldo Verde

So, something real quick using some wonderful Swiss Chard that my friend Katrina brought over from her garden.

Typically this recipe is made with Kale but when you don't have any available you can use Swiss Chard, Collards or even Turnip greens, but do try to get some Kale if you want to make it as close to the original as possible.

Trust me though, no matter which kind of greens you use, this soup will always turn out delicious.  My children love it and can't get enough, it's the one soup that I see them truly enjoying and licking their lips.

Caldo Verde

Caldo Verde - Portuguese Green Soup


4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
6 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 quarts cold water
1/2 lb chorizo sausage, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons salt

ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb kale, rinsed and thin cut or julienne


Caldo Verde

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in 3 tablespoons olive oil for 3 or 4 minutes.

Caldo Verde

2. Stir in potatoes and cook, stirring constantly, 3 or 4 minutes more.

Caldo Verde

3. Pour in water, bring to a boil, and let boil gently for 20 minutes, until potatoes are real mushy.
4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-low heat, cook sausage until it has release most of its fat, 10 minutes.

Caldo Verde

5. Drain.
6. Mash potatoes or puree.
7. Add the sausage, salt and pepper into the soup and return to medium heat.
8. Cover and simmer 5 minutes.
9. Just before serving, stir kale into soup and simmer, until kale is tender and jade green.

Caldo Verde

10. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and serve at once.

8 comments:

  1. Once again you donne it girl!!!Nicelly donne portuguese soup.Unfortunatly is the only soup that i dislike, but i can say that has a wonderfull smell.

    Kisses,
    rita

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  2. Hey my friend, thank you for posting this recipe. I do have a question though....I can't get the link chorizo sausage here like you show...the only chorizo I can get is mexican chorizo that completely falls apart and crumbles when cooked and is SUPER SUPER SUPER greasy. SO, I was wondering would linguica be a good substitute?

    Blessings,
    Lori

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  3. Lori, YES, I've used linguica before too when I couldn't find the chourico.

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  4. I just made this soup for lunch with my granddaughter. It was kind of spur of the moment and I didn't have any type of sausage in the house so I used Canadian bacon instead, but we both agreed this soup was still super scrumptilitious. Will definitely make it again, and use the chorizo next time.

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  5. Hi Sandra, I found longarizo this morning at Winco! I bought it and then came home and looked it up and found out that it is exactly what I suspected it was....it is cured chorizo sausage....is that what you use? I hope it works :)

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  6. I have another question :) (I'm planning on making this for tomorrow night's dinner (our big family meal will be a late lunch tomorrow))...on step 5 it says to Drain....areyou draining the water from the potatoes or are you draining the sausage? If you are draining the water from the potatoes, what do you use for the broth for the soup? I CAN NOT WAIT to share this wonderful memory with my family :)

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  7. Sandra, this was WONDERFUL!!!! The longarizo that I got was just a cured mexican chorizo....it did stay in the links, but had the mexican chorizo spices and flavors. The soup was DELICIOUS but next time I'll use linguica. :) I think that that will make it more authentic, since I can't find the right kind of sausage.

    THANK YOU for posting this, it was DELICIOUS and so comforting!

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  8. It looks absolutely delish but I have to have my kidney beans and linguica to consider it more authentic Portuguese Kale Soup IMHO. Still it is a great recipe, thanks! :)

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