The 600-Year-Old "Perfect" Portuguese Soup I Make All Winter Long
Caldo verde is so, so good. It’s exactly the kind of deceptively simple dish that surprises you with the deep, rich flavor it draws out of a few simple ingredients. “Caldo verde” means “green soup,” the color coming from a healthy dose of leafy greens. This hearty one-pot soup is the unofficial national soup of Portugal, eaten throughout every region of the country including the Azores, but with origins in the northern part of the country. Like most soup recipes beloved by home cooks (like classic chicken noodle soup, black bean soup, or lentil soup), everyone makes it a little differently. This version opts for kale, linguiça, and chicken broth, although traditionally the soup is made with only water.
It’s a hearty, hug of a dish that’s simple to prepare and cooks relatively quickly for a soup, but tastes like it’s been simmering all day. This soup has been in heavy rotation in my kitchen every winter for over a decade — ever since I was taught a friend’s family recipe. She grew up making the soup with whole sausages, which were then fished out of the broth and sliced before serving. Over the years I’ve changed the method up a little bit, opting to brown sliced sausage to start the soup to draw out the maximum amount of flavor. The leftovers are even better than the fresh-from-the-pot soup, as the flavors have had ample time to meld, elevating this dish to even higher levels. Give it a try — it just might be your next favorite too.
Why You’ll Love It
It’s made with a few, relatively inexpensive ingredients. But it’s more than the sum of its parts. Caldo verde is a hearty and filling meal full of sausage, greens, and tender potatoes.
It comes together in under an hour. This soup comes together in a flash, but has the deep flavor of something that’s been simmered on the stove for hours, drawing flavor from aromatics like onions and garlic, and more complex flavors from spiced linguiça sausage.
Key Ingredients in Caldo Verde
Linguiça sausage. Look for cooked sausage, not fresh. While linguiça is traditional, you can also substitute Spanish chorizo, if you’re having trouble sourcing it.
Kale. I developed this recipe with flat-leaf kale, but you can swap in curly kale or collard greens, if desired.
Yukon gold potatoes. Yukon gold potatoes will hold their shape after simmering in the hot soup, but also become tender enough to smash into the broth for a creamier texture.
Chicken broth. Opt for low-sodium chicken broth here. You can swap in vegetable broth, if desired.
Onion and garlic. These alliums are the backbone of the soup’s deep, comforting flavor.
How to Make Caldo Verde
Brown the sausage, onions, and garlic. Cook slices of linguiça in a large pot or Dutch oven until browned, then transfer to a plate. Add chopped onion and sliced garlic, and cook until softened and fragrant.
Simmer the soup. Add broth, potatoes, water, and kale. Simmer until the potatoes are very tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
Smash the potatoes. Use a wooden spoon to smash about half (or all!) of the potatoes into small pieces to thicken the broth. Add the sausage back to the pot and continue to cook for a few more minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
Helpful Swaps
You can swap green curly kale or collard greens for flat-leaf kale.
You can substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth.
What to Serve with Caldo Verde
Caldo Verde Recipe
It's only six ingredients, but you'd never know it.
Prep time 15 minutes
Cook time 45 minutes
Makes 8 cups
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
About 12 ounces smoked chorizo or smoked linguiça sausage, sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1 large yellow onion, diced (about 2 1/4 cups)
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes (about 5 medium or 3 large), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
1 (32-ounce) carton low-sodium chicken broth (4 cups)
2 cups water
1 large bunch flat-leaf kale (about 8 ounces), stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped (about 5 cups)
Instructions
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Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high until shimmering. Add 12 ounces sliced sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add 1 diced large yellow onion to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in 6 sliced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in 1 pound peeled and chopped Yukon gold potatoes, 1 (32-ounce) carton low-sodium chicken broth, 2 cups water, and 1 bunch coarsely chopped kale leaves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the potatoes are very tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
Use the potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon to smash about half of the potatoes against the side of the pot and bottom of the pot into small pieces. (If you’d like a thicker broth, smash all of the potatoes.) Return the sausage to the pot and stir to combine. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more for the flavors to meld.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Further Reading
Why People Are Ditching Their Seltzer After a Disturbing Study
We Asked 3 Chefs to Name the Best Ice Cream, and They All Said the Same Thing
