Have I mentioned that my niece and nephew are half Portuguese?
You hear about backpack adorned twenty-somethings traversing around Europe, but how about flying there with a friend and her infant child, buying a VW bus (which at one point lost its brakes), and using odd jobs to fund many months of adventure? The tenacity!
My sister came home with a rich experience and a handsome Portuguese man whom she would eventually marry.
Some years after they were married, they traveled back to Portugal for a seaside family visit. Our dad joined them. He came home with a rich experience, a handsome classical guitar, and a love for the classic Portuguese soup, Caldo Verde.
I’d never heard of this soup, so I asked him to send me the recipe. Here’s what arrived. Better than Christmas, to get a handwritten recipe in the mail from your dad!
Perhaps providence, I had a pound of kale, potatoes, and some locally made chorizo coming in our weekly CSA. (Forgive me Dad, but I feared that this soup would lack, well, oomph. Why I doubted I do not know, as you’ve always been a sage food guide.)
Simply said, this soup is spectacular. It’s a Portuguese classic for good reason. My dad warned not to improvise on the recipe, i.e. don’t just toss in random vegetables, pasta, beans, etc. It’s so true. Feel free to experiment with amounts, but stick to the components. Trust me.
No matter what your state of health, a steaming bowl of Caldo Verde will make you feel great. And, as you see on the recipe’s handwritten subtitle, hangover elixir is this soup’s lore. So, should you overindulge this Memorial Day weekend, you’ll have just the thing to mend your aching head.
Simply said, this soup is spectacular. It’s a Portuguese classic for good reason.
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1/2 pound sausage cut into 1/4-inch rounds
- 1 bunch kale washed and chopped
- 1 onion diced
- 12 cloves garlic chopped
- 5 potatoes peeled, quartered and washed
- extra virgin olive oil to finish
-
Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the sausage rounds. Cook and stir until sausage is browned. Remove sausage from the pan.
-
Add remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan; add onion, garlic and a little salt to sweat the onions. Cook and stir until the onion is translucent and the garlic is lightly toasted (taking care not to burn it), about 5 minutes.
-
Add 2 quarts water and potatoes; bring to boil. Lower heat, simmer until potatoes are soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Mash potatoes in soup.
-
Add kale and cook 5 minutes.
-
Add sausage rounds to soup and stir.
-
Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Get New Recipes by Email
Delicious recipes using real ingredients prepared simply.
- Get the best recipes, tips, and kitchen advice.
- Sign up to have new recipes delivered straight to your inbox.
Welcome! I'm Marissa, and I write this blog. I write about the recipes that propel me (and hopefully you) into the kitchen. 
I’m sorry you’re sick, Amanda, but so glad that you enjoyed the soup!
Came home and made this soup immediately. It is the perfect soul food for a cold and miserable day, especially when you’re a touch sick like I am! I used Ukrainian Garlic Sausage for the sausage as it easy to find. 🙂 Thank you for the recipe!
I love how simple this soup looks, but how it also seems to be fairly well perfect. There really is something to be said for using the best ingredients you have to make the best meal possible.
I agree!
SO delicious…what a gift to share a meal with you Marissa and Keith and this amazing soup. Great story. Memories of a lifetime.
xo
xo, can’t think of anyone I’d rather share it with.
Kale and sausage, together at last. 🙂 This sounds like a fantastic soup for rainy nights.
They are a perfect match! And I agree, perfect for a rainy night.
Hi Marissa, Dori posted this on my FB page and I’m so glad she did. This soup looks great and I can’t wait to try it. I would like to be included in your posts. I can’t always count on my sister to post them all because she is always on the road.
Hi Lori. How fun to meet Dori’s sister!
Thanks for your kind words…to sign up for posts, you can enter your e-mail in the ‘connect’ box at the top of this list or just click the facebook button in the same box and you’ll be notified via facebook. xo
HI Marissa! This sounds delicious! And I’d love to donate to your sister’s race! What is the best way to do this? Can I Paypal you the funds? 🙂
You’re very sweet Lorraine! You can donate directly to her sponsorship page, then the $$ goes directly to the American Diabetes Association.
Here’s the link: http://bit.ly/10VIolR
Thank you!
thanks Marissa! I’ll do it when I get back! 🙂 I’m in China at the moment and so many blogs and websites are blocked! 😮
I can’t wait to hear about your trip!
What kind of sausage should you use? This soup looks great! Thank you!
Thanks Teresa! The most traditional sausage is Linguiça, a smoky Portuguese sausage, but chorizo or even polish sausage would be great.