A Great Portuguese soup with a silky potato and garlic puree, topped with sliced chouriço and pretty slivers of simply cooked collard greens, Caldo Verde Recipe is the version my grandmother likes to make: uncomplicated, full of warmth and flavor.
Being Portuguese, caldo verde feels like it’s in my blood-that is the soup my family most often makes. I was lucky enough to taste it thousands of times when my grandparents made it for me, but when they left me, I knew I had to carry on the tradition myself.
Potatoes:
Liquid ratio
The difference in achieving authentic caldo verde rests in the potato-to-water ratio. Now, you may add water later; however, you can’t take it away once added. Too much water means that the soup will be runny and watery once pureed. Thus, I pack the potatoes into the pot and add only as much water as necessary to cover them. Then I add the garlic and boil the potatoes until they’re tender.
Chourico:
Portuguese chouriço and Spanish chorizo is it the same or different? Both are pork sausages, but the differences in seasoning lie. Spanish chorizo has lots of paprikas, while Portuguese chouriço uses fewer paprikas, but instead utilizes more garlic and black peppercorn. What is more, chouriço is basted and smoked in red wine, so they can be consumed straight out of the pack without further preparation. Comparatively, Spanish chorizo is only cooked partially, so it has to be cooked more before addition in cooking recipes.
At the market, you may find linguiça, more or less chouriço’s gentler, younger sibling. When I was out of luck and couldnt get my hands on chouriço, I’ve made do with linguiça. Still, chouriço gives caldo verde a much more forceful burst of flavor, so you ought to avoid making the substitution if you possibly can.
Collard greens
Cutting the greens
Whether you are using collard greens or kale, the prep is the same:
Trim the thick center stem down to the bottom, cutting the leaf in half.
Stack the halved leaves on top of one another.
Roll the pile of leaves up really tightly.
Slice into thin strips, making long ribbons.
Pureeing potatoes
Once the potatoes are tender enough to be pierced with ease by a knife, it’s time to purée. Add in an immersion blender and puree until silky smooth. This is also a good time to inspect the consistency-too much water makes it thin, or worse, brothy. Bring to a soft boil.
Chourico and couve
Next, add the chouriço and collard greens. As the chouriço is already cooked, now it plays the main role of flavoring the broth. Allow the collard greens to simmer over about ten minutes until they are soft.
I season at the end with kosher salt and black pepper because if you season it any earlier, you’ll probably over-season the caldo verde in which the chouriço contributes a rather important flavor anyway.
This caldo verde tastes so yummy, comforting, and filling. Actually, it tastes even better the next day. Store in an airtight container for up to four days-if you can bear to let it get that old!
My granny’s recipe for caldo verde will remain special in my heart. So happy to share this recipe with all of you. Hope you enjoy making and eating it as much as I have! Another of her awesome recipes is potato soufflé. Try it too!
FAQs for the Caldo Verde Recipe
1. What is caldo verde?
A traditional Portuguese soup that features puréed potatoes, garlic, collard greens, and sometimes finished with pieces of chouriço.
2. Can I use different greens?
Kale or spinach can substitute
3. What if I can’t find Portuguese chouriço?
You can use Portuguese linguiça or, in desperation, Spanish chorizo (boiled separately).
4. What are leftovers like?
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
5. Freezes the caldo verde?
Yes. Thawed and frozen is a very good way of freezing for up to three months.
6. How do I thin the soup?
Add water if too thick; simmer longer to thicken.
7. What do I serve with it?
Crusty bread or sweet rolls are wonderful with caldo verde.
8. Is it gluten-free?
It sure is. The recipe was written in a way that does not contain gluten.
9. Is this dish vegetarian?
In fact, it is vegan, and although there aren’t many, there certainly aren’t any animal products in the recipe.
Yes, omit chouriço and add water or vegetable broth.
10. How long does it take to prepare?
Total about 30–40 minutes.
Caldo Verde Recipe
Equipment
- Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
- 1.5-QuartAll-Clad Handheld Blender
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
- Water
- 1 pound Portuguese chouriço, sliced (see note #1)
- 10 large collard green leaves (prepared as instructed in the recipe)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place quartered potatoes in the bottom of a soup pot and add some crushed garlic. Add enough water to just cover the potatoes; you can always add more later but removing it will affect the texture of the soup. Stir in ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
- Bring the potatoes to a boil. Then, let them cook until they can be easily pierced with the tip of a knife, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- During that time, dice the chouriço and prepare the collard greens by removing the thick stem from the center of each leaf and cutting it in half. Fold the halves together, then roll them up tightly. Slice them very thin into strips, making ribbons.
- When the potatoes are tender to be pierced easily with a knife, puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Now check consistency and decide whether you want to add little water at this point or not. You want a thick soup base, not a thin, watery mess. Now bring it to a gentle boil.
- Add chouriço and collard greens to the pot and stir until well combined. Since chouriço has already been cooked, it will only contribute to flavor at this point. Continue to let cook the collard green until it becomes tender, about 10 minutes.
- Season with kosher salt and black pepper just before you finish cooking the caldo verde, as chouriço contributes a lot of seasoning to this soup. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed then serve the soup directly from your pot using a ladle.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
- Amount Per ServingCalories597
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat
27g
42%
- Saturated Fat 10g 50%
- Cholesterol 71mg 24%
- Sodium 26mg 2%
- Potassium 1494mg 43%
- Total Carbohydrate
62g
21%
- Dietary Fiber 9g 36%
- Sugars 3g
- Protein 26g 52%
- Vitamin C 77%
- Calcium 103%
- Iron 5%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
