Caldo Verde
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 40 min.
Caldo Verde (green broth) is a national dish in Portugal. Originally from the Minho region in the north, it's served from humble homes to fine restaurants in Portugal. It can be a one-course meal for lunch or a light choice for the evening. Traditionalists eat Caldo Verde after the main course, following age old customs.
It's main ingredient is palm kale, a familiar sight in many Portuguese vegetable gardens. Collard greens or savoy cabbage are good substitutes. Use the dark, older leaves, their texture and taste resembles more closely palm kale.
The simple version is called Sopa de Pobre (poor man's soup): kale, potatoes, water, salt and pepper. The gourmet version uses chicken stock and adds slices of chouriço. In Portugal you would serve Caldo Verde with a drop of extra virgin olive oil on top and with slices of broa, a dark local bread.
Ingredients
It is important to shred the greens as thinly as possible in order to achive the distinctive texture.
- 250 gr (1 cup) thinly shredded kale, collard greens or savoy cabbage
- 500 gr (2 cups) potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm (about 1 inch) cubes
- 150 gr (2/3 cup) Chorizo, sliced into 1 cm (about 3/8 inches) rounds
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika (optional)
- 2 tbsp olive oil for sauteing onions
- 1 medium size onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander to garnish
- extra virgin olive oil to drizzle on the soup