Description
This Easy Caldo Verde is a comforting Portuguese kale soup featuring tender potatoes, smoky chorizo, and fresh kale simmered in a flavorful broth. Perfect for a hearty lunch or dinner, this traditional soup is simple to prepare and packed with rich flavors from Spanish chorizo and aromatic vegetables.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- Salt, to taste
Meat and Greens
- 8 ounces Spanish chorizo or other smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 bunch lacinato (Tuscan) kale, stems removed and leaves thinly sliced
Instructions
- Cook the sausage: Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sliced smoked sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 4 minutes. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl. If there is excess oil left in the pot, carefully remove 1-2 tablespoons before proceeding.
- Cook the vegetables: Add the chopped onion to the pot and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Then add minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute until fragrant.
- Simmer the potatoes: Add the peeled and chopped potatoes, chicken broth, and water to the pot. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Mash potatoes and add kale and sausage: Remove half of the cooked potatoes from the pot and transfer them to a bowl. Roughly mash them with the back of a fork and then add the mashed potatoes back into the soup. Add the browned sausage and thinly sliced kale into the pot. Cook for an additional 3 minutes, or until the kale is just tender. Taste and season with salt as needed.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and serve warm. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Removing excess oil after cooking the sausage helps control the soup’s fat content and prevents greasiness.
- Using lacinato kale gives an authentic texture and flavor to the soup; however, curly kale can be substituted.
- Spanish chorizo can be replaced with other smoked sausages if preferred.
- Mashing part of the potatoes thickens the soup without needing cream or flour.
- This soup tastes even better the next day as flavors meld.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (about 230g)
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
