Caldo Verde

Method

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1. Roll the greens into a tight cigar and shred them as finely as you possibly can — 2 mm ribbons is the target. This is the defining texture of caldo verde.

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2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pot and cook the onion and garlic over medium heat for 8 minutes until soft but not coloured.

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3. Add the potatoes and water, bring to the boil, and simmer 20 minutes until the potatoes are falling apart.

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4. Meanwhile fry the chouriço slices in a dry pan for 3 minutes until the edges crisp and the orange fat runs. Set aside with the fat.

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5. Blend the soup until completely smooth, then return it to the pot and season with the salt.

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6. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, which enriches the base.

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7. Bring back to a simmer, add the shredded greens, and cook for just 3 minutes.

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8. Ladle into bowls, top each with two or three slices of chouriço and a little of its rendered fat, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and black pepper.

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Chef’s Tips

• Shred the greens as finely as you can manage. Coarse pieces make it a different, lesser soup.
• Three minutes for the greens, no more. Any longer and the colour goes.
• Good olive oil, added off the heat, does more here than any amount of cream would.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
• Vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock makes this meat-free without changing the method, if that is what you need.

Pairing Suggestions

• Broa, the Portuguese cornbread
• A glass of vinho verde
• More chouriço on the side

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate the blended base up to 4 days and freeze 3 months. Add fresh greens and chouriço when reheating.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.