Caldo Verde
We learn to cook Caldo Verde during our cooking class in Porto. Caldo Verde is a Portuguese creamy soup rich in nutrients, thanks to a whole lot of kale. The soup is greenish in colour made with linguiça sausage, a Portuguese sausage made from pork and seasoned with onion, garlic, paprika and other spices, and potatoes and fresh kale. Enjoy it with a thick slice of your favourite bread.
Caldo Verde originated from the Minho Province in northern Portugal. Today, it is a traditional national favourite that has spread across the nation and abroad, especially to places where a large community of Portuguese migrants have settled such as Brazil, Macau, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Toronto.
INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
6 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 litres cold water
200g linguiça sausage, thinly sliced
500g kale diced
2 ½ tsp salt
ground black pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Add potatoes and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Pour in water and bring to a boil; boil gently until potatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook sausage in a large pan over medium-low heat until it has released most of its fat, about 10 minutes. Drain.
- Purée potato mixture. Stir in sausage and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir in kale and simmer until tender and bright green, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and serve immediately.
Enjoy the Caldo Verde with your favourite bread. Join The Adventurous Ewe for our Northern Portugal tour in May 2025.