Caldo Verde

Portuguese soup made with potatoes, kale and sausage.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
6 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 quarts cold water
6 ounces of linguica sausage, thinly sliced
3 teaspoons vegetable bouillon powder
ground black pepper to taste
1 pound kale, rinsed and chopped

Heat oil in dutch oven or soup pot and add onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Stir in potatoes and cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes more. Pour in water, bring to a boil. Add bouillion and let boil gently for 20 minutes, until potatoes are mushy.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, cooke sausage until it has released most of its fat, about 10 minutes. Drain fat.
Mash potatoes or puree the potato mixture with a blender or food processor. Stir the sausage and pepper into the soup and return to medium heat. Cover and simmer 5 minutes.
Just before serving, stir kale into soup and simmer, 5 minutes, until kale is tender and jade green.

 
 
I couldn’t find linguica sausage, so I used kielbasa. Although it wasn’t as authentic, it tasted pretty amazing! The smoky flavour of the kielbasa blended so nicely with the potatoes and kale. Cole didn’t really care for it, but Bennett and Tony ate it up. Tony liked it a lot, and when I told him it was a Portuguese recipe, he said ‘I thought it seemed familiar!’ Maybe his Portuguese mother made something similar when he was young. Even if you’re not Portuguese, there’s something about this soup that feels like home. It’s a very comforting soup that makes you feel good inside. I loved this soup even more the next day once the flavour of the sausage had a chance to permeate. I can see this soup becoming a family favourite.
 
Recipe adapted from All Recipes