Caldo Verde

I love soup.

I really love soup, it’s one of my favourite things. My grandmother always had a pot of soup on the stove and I never turn away a bowl. My kids don’t really enjoy eating it, but that’s slowly changing. I figure the more I make it the more they’ll eat it and actually grow to love it. I mean, what’s not to love?

Caldo Verde is one of my favourites. I grew up eating collard greens and kale and this is a Portuguese classic that is really very easy to make.

Caldo Verde

Ingredients:

10 cups of water
2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
2 large onions, peeled and quartered
6 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered – this is something that you can play around with. I love potatoes and I like my soup thick, so 6 works for me. You may want to try it with fewer potatoes for a thinner consistency.
1 cube of chicken stock
2 tsp salt
2 Portuguese choriços (Portuguese sausage) sliced – you usually find them as two links of sausage packaged together. It’s up to you whether you use spicy or sweet choriço. I always buy the sweet one as my kids don’t eat spicy food – YET.
2 tbsp of olive oil
4 cups of collards or kale chiffonade  – I usually decide between the two based on what’s available in my garden or what looks fresher at the grocery store.

Choriço, onions and potatoes.

Put the water, garlic, onions, potatoes, choriço and crumbled chicken stock cube in a large pot. Bring it to a boil and then set it to medium heat for 20-30 minutes – until the potatoes are cooked.

I love the smell of this goodness.

While this is all boiling, wash and trim the hard stems off of your collards/kale leaves. Stack them, roll them up tightly and slice them as thin as you can.

Collard chiffonade.

Once your potatoes are cooked, turn the heat off and remove your choriço and set it aside in a bowl. Using a hand blender puree everything in your pot.

One of my fave kitchen appliances.

Once everything is pureed turn the heat back on and bring it to a boil again, add the greens and cook for 10 minutes. Next add your choriço and olive oil. I like to sprinkle freshly ground black pepper in my bowl and of course I always eat it with a side of fresh bread and butter.

YUMS from my house to yours.

This recipe feeds many and it’s a great leftover!

Caldo Verde is the only way that my picky son will eat collards or kale. What’s your favourite soup?