Portuguese Green Soup
The most typical soup from Northern Portugal. A comforting potato soup with thinly sliced kale and chorizo slices.
📖 The Story
Caldo Verde was born in the Minho region of northern Portugal in the 19th century. It was a poor man's soup, made with simple, affordable ingredients: potatoes, onion, and Portuguese kale. Originally it didn't even include chorizo – it was just a vegetable soup. Over time, it became Portugal's national dish, found everywhere from Lisbon's luxury restaurants to the humblest homes. In 2011, it was voted one of Portugal's Seven Gastronomic Wonders. The vibrant green color of the kale echoes the lush green countryside of Minho where the soup originated.
🧺 Ingredients
- 500g potatoes
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 200g Portuguese kale (or collard greens)
- 1 chorizo sausage
- Olive oil
- Salt to taste
- 1.5L water
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces. Chop the onion and garlic.
- 2
In a pot, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil until golden.
- 3
Add the potatoes and water. Season with salt.
- 4
Cook for 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
- 5
Blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth.
- 6
Wash the kale and cut into very thin strips.
- 7
Add the kale to the soup and cook for 5 more minutes.
- 8
Slice the chorizo and fry lightly.
- 9
Serve the soup topped with chorizo slices and a drizzle of olive oil.